Millions of boys in Brazil lace up their boots every day hoping to become professional footballers, many of them wanting to give their families a brighter future. But the doors of opportunity open for only a few. Everton, who is currently starring for Brazil at the Copa América, was given his big chance when Grêmio appeared with an offer in 2012.

Signing the deal would mean moving 3,800km away to the opposite end of the country. But it wasn’t necessarily the distance that intimidated the promising young forward. Everton didn’t want to leave Maracanaú in the north east of Brazil for Porto Alegre in the south as it would mean leaving his girlfriend behind.

A conversation with his coach helped settle the issue. Jorge Veras was in charge of the Fortaleza U17 team and had recommended Everton to Grêmio, the club where Veras had been an idol in the 1980s. “My concern, and his father’s, was that he didn’t want to go to Grêmio because of a girlfriend,” Veras recalls.

“He liked her very much. He thought that if he went there, he would lose her. He didn’t care much about his career. I told him the girl could wait for him, but that Grêmio would not. Another boy would go. Then he would regret it and the other boy would be rich and he would remain poor. I made a joke: ‘If this girl doesn’t want to wait for you, you’ll find an Italian or a German girl.’ He understood and travelled.”

Six years after that conversation, Everton is Brazilian football’s newest phenomenon. He won the Copa Libertadores with Grêmio in 2017, earned his first Brazil cap last year and has scored his first two goals for his country at the Copa América in the last fortnight. His name received the loudest cheers in the stadium before Brazil’s 5-0 win over Peru and the public picked him as their man of the match after he scored an excellent goal.

Of course, the more he impresses at the Copa América, the less likely he is to return to Grêmio. According to Globoesporte, Manchester City have been in touch about a €30m transfer for the 23-year-old and, if reports are to be believed, City will have to compete with Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Milan and Bayern Munich for his signature.

Everton celebrates with his Brazil teammates after scoring against Peru at the Copa América Photograph: Víctor R Caivano/AP

Brazil fans have warmed to the Grêmio winger quickly, partly because he has performed so well, but also because his nickname reminds them of happy times for the national team. In recent years, nicknames such as Pelé, Zico, Cafu and Kaká have given way to more formal names, making Everton something of throwback. His nickname “Cebolinha” – literally “Little Onion” – is inspired by an enormously popular Brazilian cartoon character. The winger was given the moniker when he arrived at Grêmio, owing to the similarity between his haircut and that of the animated Cebolinha.

Despite the playful nickname, Everton has always been a withdrawn type. His youth coaches say he was fearless, direct and full of dribbles on the pitch but not as bold off it. “We didn’t see Everton joking or playing with the other boys,” says Veras. “He was very quiet. His business was to work. Everton has always been determined. He always worked hard on everything we wanted to do. He never complained. Always silent. He always did as we wanted, the way we asked. He always said yes to the coaches.” José Carlos Leite, another youth coach who worked with him at Fortaleza, agrees: “He doesn’t talk. He sits in his place and doesn’t utter a word.”

Éverton ganhou um desenho dos ilustradores da Turma da Mônica, com aprovação de Maurício de Sousa - o criador dos quadrinhos, por conta do apelido de Cebolinha.



📷Beto Azambuja/GE pic.twitter.com/LiRI8KU5Pf — Planeta Grêmio (@planetadogremio) November 20, 2018

As a teenager from a humble family, Everton faced a long commute to training sessions for his first club, Maracanã, in the northern city of Maracanaú. “He came by bicycle,” remembers Márcio Caetano, a former youth coach at the club. “He cycled around 6km to reach the training ground. He was always reserved, of few words, but always skilful.”

Everton was soon given a chance to play for Fortaleza U15s, in the state capital of Ceará, an hour from his family home. His father’s intervention helped the shy boy get an opportunity, as Veras explains: “There was a tournament where he didn’t play and his father came to me, saying: ‘He was with the U15s, but he didn’t get a chance.’ So I gave him an opportunity. We did a trial with him and it was a positive surprise. He came on the pitch and scored three goals in 30 minutes.”

“When he was 16, the Seleção scout came to watch some players. We played two friendlies against Ceará and Everton scored twice in each game. We asked the club directors to sign him to a contract, otherwise we would lose the boy. There were a lot of people watching him.”

Everton caught the eye of Grêmio scouts while playing against them for Fortaleza in an Under-16 competition in 2012. Grêmio won 2-1, but the scouts were convinced they needed to sign the youngster. In the end, the trophy went back to Porto Alegre and so did their future No 11. “We saw his potential,” says Francesco Barletta, the coordinator of the Grêmio youth academy. “What caught our attention was his speed and his aggression – his ability to decide games. He had a lot of attitude and was good technically.”

After agreeing to leave his girlfriend in Fortaleza, Everton’s second challenge was to acclimatise to the cooler weather in the south. Temperatures can drop down near freezing in Porto Alegre, which is close to the borders with Argentina and Uruguay, and he struggled. “The winter in the state of Rio Grande do Sul is very severe, especially for those who aren’t used to it,” says André Jardine, Grêmio’s former Under-17s coach. “He thought about giving up, but we supported him.”

Everton made his senior debut for the club in 2014, aged 18. Initially, he was an option off the bench but he gradually developed his game and gained confidence, thanks in large part to the work of Grêmio manager Renato Gaúcho. So far in 2019, he has scored nine goals in 19 appearances for his club – including three vital strikes in the Copa Libertadores that helped take Grèmio into the knockout stages of the tournament.

He has maintained that form in the Copa América, scoring against Bolivia in the opening game and in Brazil’s 5-0 win over Peru. After that goal, his international teammate Filipe Luis said: “Everton is ready to play in Europe.” But before he makes another long-distance move, Cebolinha can make himself a national hero in the final on Sunday. The boy who used to cycle 6km to train with minnows Maracanã in the state of Ceará is heading to Rio de Janeiro to play in the Maracanã for Brazil, where they will take on Peru once more. With the No 19 on the back of his shirt, the forward now carries the hopes of 200 million Brazilians.

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