'He's not Endrick anymore!' - Rodrygo's new nickname for Real Madrid striker explained
- Real Madrid squad hand amusing nickname to teenage star Endrick
- 18-year-old plays alongside Rodrygo for club and country
- Endrick scored on debut for Madrid last month
Real Madrid star Rodrygo has revealed the amusing nickname that he has given to teenage wonderkid Endrick after he admitted his surprise admiration for Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
Endrick's rise to the top of the footballing world has been meteoric. The 18-year-old starred in Brazil's journey to the quarter-finals of Copa America this summer before finalising a huge move to Madrid in time for the 2024/25 campaign.
He's already found the back of the net this season, scoring in Madrid's 3-0 victory over Real Valladolid in August on his debut. However, when Endrick succeeds, it is not his name that his teammates cheer, but rather one belonging to an English legend.
"Now he's Bobby. He's not Endrick anymore," fellow Madrid and Brazil forward Rodrygo told ESPN.
The nickname derives from one of Endrick's heroes, Bobby Charlton. The Brazilian has admitted on multiple occasions that he is a big admirer of the Manchester United legend, who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
Endrick was born in 2006, some 26 years after Charlton retired from professional football and 33 after he left United.
Rodrygo continued: "He's caught on to that joke. The reception he's had there [at Real Madrid] is good, not just from the Brazilians. We have a very good group at Real, and it's no different with him. We know his quality and how he can help us.
"He's become Bobby, that's it. He's taking it easy. There's nothing he can do, if he gets angry it's worse."