‘Mistakes don’t get to me. I trust in what I believe, and I’ll keep trying until it comes off’ Chelsea’s new wonderkid Estevao underlines his mentality

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - NOVEMBER 17: Estevao of Brazil celebrates victory after the Group C match between England and Brazil during the FIFA U-17 World Cup at Jakarta International Stadium on November 17, 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Chelsea have a confident player in their ranks (Image credit: Getty Images)

Twelve months after a deal was struck to bring him to Stamford Bridge, Estevao has finally arrived at Chelsea in time for the 2025/26 season.

Ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo’s list of the most exciting teenagers in the world last year, Estevao arrives on British shores with plenty of hype following a whirlwind last 18 months which has seen him make his senior debuts for club and country.

During his short career so far, the 18-year-old has showcased a fearless playing style, which sees him taking risks, trying new things and - perhaps crucially - unafraid to make mistakes.

Estevao on his fearless playing style

Estevao Willian celebrates a goal for Palmeiras against Uruguayan side Liverpool in the Copa Libertadores in April 2024. — Estevao already has five Brazilian caps before his 19th birthday (Image credit: Getty Images)

“That comes from my dad,” Estevao tells FourFourTwo when asked about this mentality.

“He’s always told me, ‘Never stop being yourself’. If I make a mistake during play, I don’t have time to dwell on it. You’ve only got seconds to react, because at any moment, the ball could be at your feet again and you’ve got to be ready to do something with it.”

CURITIBA, BRAZIL - SEPTEMBER 3: Estêvão Willian of Brazil training during Brazil Training Session at CT do Caju on September 3, 2024 in Curitiba, Brazil. (Photo by Heuler Andrey/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) Chelsea — Estevao training with the Brazil national team last year (Image credit: Getty Images)

“My dad has always hammered that idea into me – it’s just about staying switched on and trusting your instincts. If there’s space to take a man on, I’ll take him on.

“If the better option is to pass, I’ll pass. I’ll do what I know and what I’ve been trained to do. I know what I’m capable of. I know what I’ve got inside me.

“That’s why mistakes don’t get to me. I trust in what I believe, and I’ll keep trying until it comes off.”

This attitude saw Estevao rack up four senior Brazil caps before he turned 18 in April, while he left Palmeiras this summer having made 83 senior appearances, scoring 27 goals.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca celebrates after his side's success in the FIFA Club World Cup — The Brazilian teenager will be hoping to quickly play his way into Enzo Maresca's first team (Image credit: Getty Images)

Chelsea fans got their first glimpse of the Brazilian forward in action when he netted in a pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month.

The Stamford Bridge faithful will now be hoping that he will light up the Premier League when the Blues kick off their campaign with a home test against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

With contributions from

Caio Carrieri

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