Manchester City Gabriel Jesus is expected to be the new Ronaldo by Brazil fans, says team-mate Fernandinho
Etihad and Samba stars midfielder also revealed he played a key part in getting fellow Brazilians over to rainy England
MANCHESTER CITY star Gabriel Jesus is expected to be the new Ronaldo by his football-mad Brazilian nation.
Etihad midfielder Fernandinho has revealed the little forward has a giant weight on his shoulders as Samba supporters hold the highest of hopes for the 20-year-old.
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima was one of the most phenomenal forces in football between 1993 when he started at Cruzeiro and 2011 when he finished at Corinthians.
In spells at PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, the striker scored an obscene amount of goals but was hamstrung by knee injuries.
Now the torch has been handed over to the City starlet Pep Guardiola snapped up – no pressure.
Ahead of Monday’s clash with Everton, Fernandinho told the BBC: “Ronaldo is one of the biggest players in football history.
“And most of the people are comparing Gabriel with Ronaldo – the true Ronaldo.
“They look similar, the way they play, the way they move around the pitch.
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“We hope Gabriel can improve a lot, to be a better player, to be a very good player, at a high level.
“If he can be the next Ronaldo then it is going to be amazing for him, for me, for the club, for everybody.”
Fernandinho now has a squad brimming with compatriot talent, from front to back, with goalkeeper Ederson, defender Danilo and striker Jesus.
And he played a key part in luring his countrymen to the colder and wetter climbs of Manchester.
He said: Of course I spoke to them before they joined here, they asked me a lot of things about the city, the club and the league.
“Of course I said the city is nice, it’s good, it’s cold and it rains a lot. But it’s nice.
“There are great options for restaurants to go out, to enjoy time with your family and the club is amazing.
“If you have a chance to be part of it, it is going to be great for you – as a player – and they decided to come.
“We are glad, I am happy because now I have some compatriots here and that’s amazing.”