Atalanta midfielder Ederson has fulfilled the dream of becoming a professional football player despite a difficult childhood: ‘When I was 6, I told my mum I’d become a footballer.’
The 23-year-old completed a €21m move from Salernitana to Atalanta in the summer. He had joined the Granata in January, moving to Europe for the first time in his career.
“I felt at home in Salerno, and the same goes for Bergamo,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Atalanta were the team that wanted me the most, they offered me an important project and nice words from Walter Sabatini gave me the final push.”
The Brazilian midfielder is a natural central midfielder but has been deployed mostly as an attacking midfielder by Gian Piero Gasperini this term.
“I’ve always played as a central midfielder. In this new position, I have more chances to score, but I still have defensive duties,” said Ederson.
“Playing on the right is better than on the left for me, especially when I have to go for the goal.
“My childhood was not easy, but one day when I was 6, I told my mum: ‘One day, I’ll be a footballer.’ I was 12 when I was supposed to go to Sao Paulo, she told me: ‘We have the money to go, but not to come back.’ Luckily there was no need to return.”