Almost half an hour after the final whistle of the match between Flamengo and Olaria in the U-20 Rio de Janeiro State Championship, a 19-year-old leaves the Gávea locker room after almost all his teammates. Wearing jeans, a polo shirt, sunglasses, and his unmistakable Afro Power hairstyle, he calmly chats with the Flamengo official website team about his promising start to his career and his future aspirations.

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Soft-spoken, he doesn't even remotely resemble the cool, deadly striker who terrorizes defenses in the Junior Championship. With the number 10 on his back, blue cleats, a bandage on his left hand, and a finishing ability that would make many professionals envious. His gestures, complaints, and personality are often mistaken for bravado on the field, but a chat off the field is enough to reveal the real Diego Maurício, a revelation from Flamengo's youth academy who is widely considered a top prospect to break into the professional ranks.

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The son of José Maurício and Andréia Cristina, Diego dreams of this moment and has been working hard for it. The numbers prove it. Against Olaria, he scored three goals, and in the competition, he already has eight—in just six games. A natural goalscorer, the player aims to shine in soccer not only for his passion for the field, but also to repay the investment his parents made since his childhood in the Rocha Miranda neighborhood, in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro.

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Check out the full interview with this promising Flamengo youth team player:

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Flamengo x Olaria - It was a very important victory for us. We're on a very good run and on track to win this first-round title. We know there's still a long way to go, but the group is united, there's no vanity, no arrogance here, and we'll fight for this title. We managed to open up a little lead, but that's not to let up.

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Artillery – I'm very happy to score goals. I'm a striker, and that's my job, but I don't do anything alone, and I know that very well. It's a pleasure to play with this group, which is very good, very close-knit, and they help me a lot. I'm here to play my football and help in any way I can.

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Pressure and recognition – I'm very happy to see that the fans are already looking at me favorably, and so are the people here at the club. It's great to know that I'm being supported by the professional team. I'm also grateful to Professor Rogério Lourenço, who brought me to the U-20 team, where I had a very good experience. I believe this youth phase is the first step toward the future I want, which is the professional one. Getting promoted is a consequence of good work at the youth level.

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Good income also as a waiter – I used to play solo up front here at Flamengo. I always played as the lone center forward, but with the Brazilian national team, under coach Rogério, I played alongside another striker, and that helped me a lot because I had to move out of the box a bit more, play on the wings as well, and that gave me more experience playing that way. I think I did well, I took advantage of the opportunity, and now I'm doing the same here at Flamengo.

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Base spawn that do not take hold – Unfortunately, I have friends who are in the professional ranks, but they haven't been playing. I'm sad about this, but I know they have potential and will perform in the future. I try to work as hard as I can so that when I get the chance, I can showcase my skills. I know I have what it takes, and I hope one day to be on the first team, helping Flamengo win many titles.

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Players who serve as inspiration – I watch a lot of games and a lot of players. The main ones are Adriano and Ronaldo, here in Brazil. Regardless of their off-field lives, their personal lives, they're always performing incredibly well, helping their teams, scoring a lot of goals... I hope one day to be a top-level player like them.

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Early career – I'm from Rocha Miranda, I started on a team close to my home, and then ended up going to Vasco. Then, a funny thing happened in my career. I had the chance to go to Flamengo, and I didn't think twice. I chose my favorite team. Now I've been here for nine years, and I'm very happy.

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Flamengo – It's wonderful to play here. Say what you want about Flamengo, but no club in the world is like it. There's no better feeling than playing at the Maracanã, seeing that beautiful crowd in the stands... It gives you goosebumps. It's impressive. There's no crowd, nor a sacred mantle like it.

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Dress style – I like to dress well, and thank God, things are improving and I can dress up, have a better financial situation, and help my family. But it's not arrogant, arrogant, or anything like that.

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Family - My parents have always been very supportive. I come from humble backgrounds, born into a community, but I've never lacked support at home. So, one of my biggest goals in soccer is to also help my family. I play for myself, for my heart, because I love soccer so much, but also for my parents, who, despite all the difficulties, have always been by my side. Now I'm starting to reap the rewards and hope to achieve much more. I would be very sad if I couldn't repay them for everything they've done for me.

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Title Fasting – It's high time. I was promoted to the juniors early, when I was still a junior, so I've been in this category for two years now, and the team still hasn't won a title. It's definitely stuck, and we really want to win this State Championship. I hope to continue scoring goals to help the team in the upcoming matches.

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Importance of titles – Of course, the main goal of the youth academy is to develop players. But a great player is only developed if they also win titles and are accustomed to being a winner. Here at Flamengo, we learned this from an early age, and I think it's the right thing to do. Sometimes a player can have quality but not be accustomed to pressure and decision-making, and they don't progress in their career.