Oscar, now 21, grew up alongside his brother and sister in the sole care of his mother, Sueli, who worked from home making clothes to sell whilst looking after the young children.
“Of course I don"t remember him," Oscar said. “But, you miss a father when you are playing football. All the parents are there, but yours is not there."
Oscar, whose father had bought him his first football boots, would eventually go on to represent his father"s beloved São Paulo until contractual issues saw him move on to Internacional.
Despite his obvious footballing abilities, Oscar was frank in admitting that he is a very shy person and, at times, has been criticised for his timid nature on the pitch.
“On the field, sometimes it even forced my friends to say something," he admitted. “‘You need to talk! Ask for the ball". It"s my way, I am quiet and I think I am similar on and off the pitch. You have to see me and pass. If I am free, pass. It"s difficult for me to ask."
Oscar has, though, shot up the footballing ladder in spite of his natural shyness and now lives in London with his girlfriend Ludimila, playing for Chelsea.
In the past, he was called names for being too thin—a trend that continued even until his time at São Paulo. But, the Seleção star has overcome all his difficulties to succeed and it is his character that has stood out.
“I am going to emphasise his personality," said Pelé, three-time World Cup winner and most famous bearer of the Brazil No. 10 shirt. “Romario, with all his reputation, did not want to play wearing 10—he played with 11. Oscar has taken it on."
The full interview [Portuguese] can be found on Globo Esporte
