Last Friday, as Endrick warmed up before the World Cup qualifier against Ecuador in Curitiba, fans were yelling "Bobby Charlton" at him. He was seen smiling and waving.
On Sunday, Brazil striker Rodrygo confirmed it. "Now he is Bobby, he is no longer Endrick. The banter is on," Rodrygo told ESPN. "There's nothing he can do. If he gets angry it will be worse."
Endrick, who turned 18 in July, wasn’t used against Ecuador but he looks set to start on Tuesday against Paraguay in Asuncion in his first appearance since the Copa America in July, when he failed to shine and Brazil bowed out in the quarterfinals.
That was in stark contrast to March when Endrick ended a goalless friendly with England 10 minutes from time with his first goal for Brazil and became the youngest male scorer at Wembley. He paid surprising tribute to Charlton, the England and Manchester United great who died last October.
“I am a fan of Bobby Charlton’s, he played a lot in this stadium. To play and score at a stadium where he scored so many goals is very important to me," Endrick said.