JAKARTA - Enzo Maresca believes Chelsea winger Estevoo is destined to reach the top of football after his first two months in the Premier League.
The Brazilian joined Chelsea from Palmeiras for 29 million pounds in the summer after breaking Neymar's record in Brazil's Serie A for the involvement of the most goals under the age of 18.
He scored against Chelsea for Palmeiras at the 2025 Club World Cup, his last game for the Brazilian side after Maresca's men got rid of them on the Blues' journey to win the tournament.
Since his arrival in London, Estevoo has quickly become a fans' favorite at Stamford Bridge, especially after scoring a dramatic victory in the final minutes of the Premier League against Liverpool earlier this month.
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Chelsea and Maresca supporters were both delighted by the arrival of the 18-year-old, but the Italian coach said he was surprised by how quickly he adapted to the Premier League.
"He really surprised us with his adaptation way, he's still very young, he's only 18 years old."
"I think his family helped him a lot too because his family was very close to him. He got here and met Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, who always gave him great help."
"Kami, sebagai staf, pelatih, klub, melakukan segalanya agar ia bisa datang dan beradaptasi. Ia adalah anak laki-laki yang wajahnya menunjukkan bahwa ia sangat bahagia, sangat puas."
"He wanted to play football, last week he said it was a bit cold here, but for us here, the weather is still warm and we're trying to tell him that the cold weather hasn't arrived yet. We're very satisfied, we're very happy he's here with us," Maresca told ESPN Brazil.
Estevoo's early career at Stamford Bridge has set him several records, including Chelsea's youngest goalscorer in the Champions League in a 5-1 win over Ajax last week.
He has also become a regular for Brazil's National Team, scoring his debut goal against Chile last month before scoring two goals in a 5-0 win over South Korea two weeks ago.
Maresca knows Estevoo better than most people. He believes that the attacker will reach the peak of his career.
"I have no doubt that he can compete for the Ballon d'Or title or Best Player (FIFA). The most important thing, in my opinion, is that he needs to focus on developing, to improve himself."
"So, the awards will come on their own. So, the most important thing is that he continues to learn, continues to grow."
"He's a kid who works really hard, which is really good, I'm sure all the awards will come. I'm sure he's a footballer who is destined to reach the top of football because he has everything," said Maresca again.
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