At 18 years old, the midfielder is inspired by Zé Roberto and plays to the sound of Rio
Carlos Augusto Ferrari
From GLOBOESPORTE.COM, in Porto Alegre
Erick Flores is the big bet for Flamengo's youth academy. Finishing the year in third place in the Brazilian Championship and securing a spot in the Copa Libertadores couldn't be more surprising for Flamengo fans. But in 2008, the surprises could be even greater. The club is preparing a new crop of young talent who promise to upset coach Joel Santana's starting lineup and even compete for starting spots.
And the "problems" are likely to start in midfield. At just 18 years old (eight of them at Gávea), midfielder Erick Flores is emerging as one of the Rubro-Negro's brightest prospects, inspired by the best Brazilian player at the last World Cup to dream of a chance in the professional squad.
"I really like Zé Roberto. He's a player who knows how to attack and defend with quality. My style is the same. Íbson is a great example, as is Renato Augusto," says the young man, a resident of Jacarepaguá who was discovered playing futsal in 1999 at a club in Rio.
A standout for Flamengo in the U-20 Brasileirão, the midfielder, a funk and pagode fan, admits he's eager to be promoted to the senior team. In 2007, he trained a few times with the seniors but wasn't selected for any games. It's a chance that even affects his family.
WHO IS ERICK FLORES\ Name: Erick Flores Bonfim\ Position: Midfielder\ Date and place of birth: 30/04/1989, in Rio de Janeiro-RJ\ Height and weight: 1,65m / 69kg\ Career: Flamengo (since 1999)\ Strengths: Speed and skill\ Weaknesses: Individualism and physical build\
"It's hard to contain my excitement right now. I have two sisters who don't even want me to wear those wristbands anymore because they think it's a masked player thing (laughs). I don't care about that stuff. I really like listening to funk and pagode. Any band or singer in those styles pleases me," he says.
Paulo Sérgio, Bruno Mezenga and Kayke: chance may appear at FlamengoFlamengo idol in the 70s and 80s and current coach of the youth team, Adílio bets on the boy as one of the new additions for next year and praises his work capacity in the midfield.
"I've been following Erick since he was a kid. He's a very skilled player, with good strength, and a great sense of the game. He's also learned to mark and hasn't lost his offensive prowess. In an emergency, you can count on him to get the job done without any problems," he says.
Despite being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship after losing to Cruzeiro, Flamengo is expected to promote other players, such as forwards Bruno Mezenga (19 years old) and Paulo Sérgio (18 years old), who have already played with the professionals. Midfielder Kayke (19 years old) is also expected to appear.
"Flamengo has a very good crop of young players who can be a big help. In a year with the Libertadores on the calendar, many of them should start getting opportunities," adds Adílio.