Jean Lucas celebrates Brazil debut, recalls childhood sacrifices | OneFootball

The story of Jean Lucas took a new turn this Monday. Called up for the first time to defend the Brazilian National Team, the Bahia midfielder did not hide his excitement to experience what he called "a feeling of fulfillment".

"Just thank God for everything he has been doing in my life, to coach Ancelotti and his staff for the opportunity. I met great friends here and it was good to get well acquainted with the group. I am very happy to be here and I hope to start working soon," said Jean Lucas to CBF TV.

The call-up of Jean Lucas, who replaced the injured Joelinton, also represents a historic feat for Bahia. For the first time since 1991, the club has a player in the Brazilian National Team. The midfielder, an important piece in Rogério Ceni's team, makes a point of sharing the merits: "If I got here today, it was because of Bahia. I will be eternally grateful to the club for everything".

At 27 years old, Jean recalled the difficulties of his childhood in Campo Grande, in Rio de Janeiro, when he had to take three buses to train in the youth categories of Nova Iguaçu. The sacrifice of his family was key in his journey.

"My father did everything to help me, he sold clothes, he sold snacks. Many times we didn't even have the bus fare. So I decided to fend for myself, I went alone, by bus, van and train, to chase my dream," he said.

Today, the reward is wearing the shirt of the greatest National Team in the world, under the command of Carlo Ancelotti. For Jean, the chance to work with the Italian is another milestone in his career. "Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine this. He is the greatest coach in history, a guy who coached the best club in the world. I have only to learn and grow," he affirmed.

Jean Lucas is now preparing for the match against Chile, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) this Thursday, at Maracanã, which could mark his debut with the Yellow and Green. With an incomplete squad, the team led by Ancelotti began, on Monday, the preparation for the match. Fate also reserved a special detail: the possibility of debuting precisely at Maracanã, the stage of his first game as a professional, still at Flamengo.

"God is wonderful. I was born and raised in Rio and now I can play for the National Team at Maracanã. They are already asking me for many tickets, but I will try to have the closest people with me at this moment," he joked.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.