It is hardly surprising to see new arrivals struggle during their initial days at a club like FC Barcelona. Beyond just being a step above in terms of quality and competition for most players that end up joining, it is also a new way of life. To excel at Barcelona, even the best of players need to give more than ever before.
Such was also the case for Vitor Roque, who arrived from Athletico Paranaense back in the winter transfer window of this year. Following his arrival, one that excited many fans of Barcelona, the player would unfortunately not get the kind of opportunities he would have ideally wanted.
Instead, more criticism has found its way towards him than praise has. As a result of this, many believed that the 19-year-old Brazilian forward could even be on his way out this summer. However, one man who most would expect not to be too keen to have his spotlight shared has recently given some words of advice for the young Brazilian.
Robert Lewandowski, the current ace striker for Barcelona, recently spoke about understanding the difficulties that Roque has faced and what more he can do to overcome these challenges, as highlighted by SPORT:
“Coming to Barça is a big step for anyone, a new culture… and although Portuguese is similar to Spanish, it’s still a different language. He has to trust himself, and work hard.”
Moreover, the 35-year-old Polish striker even went on to compliment the talent that young South American possesses but also stated that it is ultimately up to the player to dictate how his future goes from here:
“Summer is always a good time to analyze what you did wrong, what you can do better… He has enough talent, but what happens or could happen obviously depends on him.”
Recently, it was even reported that despite getting an offer from Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, Vitor Roque and his entourage rejected that advance. Instead, it is expected that the player will try his best to succeed at Barcelona and these upcoming matches against some top teams during the US preseason tour could be his chance to show that he is worth counting on.
