First up for discussion was of course this year’s disappointing Copa America campaign, which culminated in Lucas being dismissed as Brazil crashed out to Paraguay.
“We would have liked to have won the Copa America,” states the 24-year-old. “The game against Paraguay; I don’t think we deserved to lose. I don’t think Paraguay had a shot on target.”
“With the penalties, it was just a bad day, and we were very unlucky that we missed all the penalties.
“It’s a new team, new players, and it’s always really hard to build a new team, especially with the national team when you don’t train together a lot.
“The target is the World Cup, and we have to take this experience from the Copa America and take it to the next games in the Confederations Cup and then the World Cup.
“I don’t think I did too much wrong to get a red card. It was just an argument between players, and I think the referee chose two players to send off.
“Unfortunately, I was picked by him. It was disappointing, but you just have to move forward and try to learn from it.”
Amongst Lucas’ team-mates at the tournament were the young talents of Neymar, Lucas Moura and Ganso, all of which felt the pressure of expectation. As a senior team-mate, Liverpool’s Lucas feels the pressure on the youngsters is a bit too much at times.
“We know Ganso and Neymar are very talented players and they are doing really well in Brazil.
“They are the future of the national team, and I think the pressure is always really high. They did well, but it just didn’t work for everybody.
“At the moment Neymar is the most important player in Brazil. He’s got ability, pace, he works really hard, and you can see from his stats that he doesn’t like to miss any games, and he always wants to be involved.”
On the 2014 World Cup, which Brazil will host, Lucas appreciates that the pressure will be high, but his first target is just to win a place in the squad and make the most of the matches in the build-up, despite the lack of competitive action.
“I don’t think the people in Brazil think of any other option than being champions, especially being hosts. The pressure being very high could be good or bad.
“I just need to make sure I stay in the squad! If I have a chance to play it would be a dream.
“Playing a World Cup in your home country with your family, and all the Brazilians watching and supporting the team; I think it would be an amazing atmosphere.”
“Not playing competitive games is always hard because you want to play a three-point match with the atmosphere of an official game, so we are taking all our friendly matches very seriously.
“In the last game, we were a man down against Mexico and we won. If we were treating it like a friendly, maybe we would not have been able to win that game.
“We took it really seriously, which is the only way we will be ready for the World Cup.”
On the younger Brazilian players, Lucas is open minded as to whether an early move to Europe is best, or if it is better to delay.
“When I moved, I had to be patient and try to settle as quickly as possible. They will have to learn the language and change the way they play, because every county has its own style.
“In Spain, it’s not easier, but maybe more similar. But if you move to England, you have to be patient and work hard to adapt well and quickly.
“If they move when they are older, maybe they won’t have that time that they would need. You just have to decide whatever you think is best.
“In life you have to make decisions, and sometimes it goes right and sometimes it goes wrong. But you have to cope and try to do whatever you need to.”
Finally, what does the future hold for Lucas and Brazilian football? Would he like to make a return one day and would it be to Grêmio, his childhood side?
“Yeah, I definitely would like to,” Lucas begins when pushed on the matter. “Of course at the moment it is not my plan to come back to Brazil, but I would like to before I retire.
“Maybe to play at Gremio again, my former club. That’s where everything started. But I still have many years to play, and many things to happen before I retire, so I think it may take a while.
“At the moment I don’t think about even going back to Brazil to play yet.
“It’s hard to say another club at the moment because I don’t know what will happen, but we never know what is going to happen in the future.”
