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Marco
Silva has a gem on his hands. Richarlison has already won over the
Watford faithful despite having only arrived at Vicarage Road August in a
£11.2 million transfer from Fluminense.
The 20-year-old was signed from under the noses of Ajax and he got a UK work permit despite having not played for the Brazil national team. However, such has been his impact on the Premier League, he is already on the brink of a call-up to the Selecao.
Overseas talents - particularly ones so young - usually need time to adapt to English football but Richarlison already looks right at home, even though he is still getting to grips with the language.
Fellow Brazilian Heurelho Gomes has taken to looking after the youngster and operates as his mentor at the club but Watford will only be able to hold onto Richarlison for so long if he continues this form, as bigger clubs will be taking notice.
Richarlison's father is a stonemason and his mother is a cleaner . The eldest of five children, he was born in Nova Venecia in 1997 and that's where his footballing skill was first honed as he achieved what so many dreamed of doing, using his talent to play himself out of poverty.
He was raised in beautiful surroundings but Richarlison had to work during his youth, as he took on shifts as an ice cream seller to bring in extra money for his family.
Richarlison's football shone through and super-agent Renato Velasco signed him up, with the player inking his first professional deal at America Mineiro in 2014.
A tough upbringing has prepared him well for the fiercely competitive world of football. He made his first big move when he was only 18, going from America Mineiro to Brazilian football giants Fluminense in 2016 for a fee of around £2m .
Richarlison got his debut goal against local rivals Flamengo and handled the pressure of being the talk of Brazil by scoring 19 goals in 67 appearances. His performances at the legendary Maracana Stadium alerted football clubs from around Europe to his talent and now, with three goals in seven starts for Watford, his reputation is growing even faster.
However, Richarlison isn't looking for another move any time soon, revealing that he has been a fan of the Premier League since he was a kid.
"It is already a dream to be in England, in a club of Watford's stature," he told Goal . "It is a dream from my childhood, I always wanted to play in the Premier League, which is one of the best leagues in the world.
"God has made everything perfect for me. I did not think twice when the offer from England came, because it was always a professional goal of mine. I want to make history in Watford, and score lots of goals."
His last-minute strikes have earned Watford four extra points, as he scored away at both Swansea and West Brom to add to his goal against Bournemouth. He has developed a partnership with Andre Gray despite the fact that the duo are culturally worlds apart. Meanwhile, he is keeping club captain Troy Deeney out of the starting 11.
When he is not scoring goals, Richarlison enjoys watching Prison Break and listening to Brazilian 'funk' music, with his favourite artist being Andrezinho Shock.
However, he now wants to improve his English as Watford fans have already got a chant for him to the tune of La Bamba , which goes "Richarlison, Richarlison, he plays for Watford in Silva's army."
"The fans here are wonderful," he enthused. "I want to learn the song to sing it along with them. Their affection motivates me to play even better, run a bit further... I was very surprised by their reception. I don't have the words to describe what the fans have done for me."
They'll happily settle for another goal on Saturday, against Stoke, from one of the most exciting and intriguing young players the Premier League has seen in some time.
The 20-year-old was signed from under the noses of Ajax and he got a UK work permit despite having not played for the Brazil national team. However, such has been his impact on the Premier League, he is already on the brink of a call-up to the Selecao.
Overseas talents - particularly ones so young - usually need time to adapt to English football but Richarlison already looks right at home, even though he is still getting to grips with the language.
Fellow Brazilian Heurelho Gomes has taken to looking after the youngster and operates as his mentor at the club but Watford will only be able to hold onto Richarlison for so long if he continues this form, as bigger clubs will be taking notice.
Richarlison's father is a stonemason and his mother is a cleaner . The eldest of five children, he was born in Nova Venecia in 1997 and that's where his footballing skill was first honed as he achieved what so many dreamed of doing, using his talent to play himself out of poverty.
He was raised in beautiful surroundings but Richarlison had to work during his youth, as he took on shifts as an ice cream seller to bring in extra money for his family.
Richarlison's football shone through and super-agent Renato Velasco signed him up, with the player inking his first professional deal at America Mineiro in 2014.
A tough upbringing has prepared him well for the fiercely competitive world of football. He made his first big move when he was only 18, going from America Mineiro to Brazilian football giants Fluminense in 2016 for a fee of around £2m .
Richarlison got his debut goal against local rivals Flamengo and handled the pressure of being the talk of Brazil by scoring 19 goals in 67 appearances. His performances at the legendary Maracana Stadium alerted football clubs from around Europe to his talent and now, with three goals in seven starts for Watford, his reputation is growing even faster.
However, Richarlison isn't looking for another move any time soon, revealing that he has been a fan of the Premier League since he was a kid.
"It is already a dream to be in England, in a club of Watford's stature," he told Goal . "It is a dream from my childhood, I always wanted to play in the Premier League, which is one of the best leagues in the world.
"God has made everything perfect for me. I did not think twice when the offer from England came, because it was always a professional goal of mine. I want to make history in Watford, and score lots of goals."
His last-minute strikes have earned Watford four extra points, as he scored away at both Swansea and West Brom to add to his goal against Bournemouth. He has developed a partnership with Andre Gray despite the fact that the duo are culturally worlds apart. Meanwhile, he is keeping club captain Troy Deeney out of the starting 11.
However, he now wants to improve his English as Watford fans have already got a chant for him to the tune of La Bamba , which goes "Richarlison, Richarlison, he plays for Watford in Silva's army."
"The fans here are wonderful," he enthused. "I want to learn the song to sing it along with them. Their affection motivates me to play even better, run a bit further... I was very surprised by their reception. I don't have the words to describe what the fans have done for me."
They'll happily settle for another goal on Saturday, against Stoke, from one of the most exciting and intriguing young players the Premier League has seen in some time.
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