New signing Endrick has been told to “calm down” by Real Madrid teammate Thibaut Courtois after two tough friendly appearances in pre-season.
Much is expected of the Brazilian prodigy after he finally made the move to the Bernabeu and he has started both of their pre-season fixtures in the United States so far this summer. However, he is yet to score for his new club and struggled in the Clasico defeat to Barcelona on Saturday night.
The teenager eventually came off in the 68th minute and Courtois admitted he thought the youngster might have been overawed by the occasion.
Speaking after the game, the goalkeeper told reporters: “He’s not very tall, but he does have very strong legs. He’s a bit like how I met Eden [Hazard] at Chelsea, who has strong legs. You can kick him and he’ll stay standing. And he has a lot of strength in his shot. I’ve seen him shoot hard in training.
“Above all, I think he needs to be a bit calmer. I don’t know if he’s a bit nervous. He’s going to get better and better.”
Courtois missed the majority of the 2023/24 season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury but was not selected for Belgium’s squad for Euro 2024 despite returning before the end of the club campaign due to a public falling out with manager Domenico Tedesco.
He played in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund after Andriy Lunin had played a stunning role in Los Blancos reaching the Wembley showpiece. The Ukrainian has been linked with an exit and Courtois said he would understand if his understudy were plotting a move away.
He added: “Everyone has to choose what they think is best. I am not the one to decide for him. I understand that he played a lot last year and wants to keep playing. He has to choose his path to get the best out of his career. He is a great goalkeeper and deserves the best.”
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