When Manchester United renewed Andreas Pereira’s contract in May this year, just two months before it was due to expire, it ended months of speculation linking the youngster with a move away from the club. And the 19-year-old made United’s decision look an excellent one as he proceeded to star for Brazil at last month’s Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, topping off his tournament with a brilliant solo goal as the Seleçāo were defeated 2-1 by Serbia in the final.
Not so long ago, Pereira was representing the youth sides of Belgium, the country where he was born and raised, rather than those of his parents’ homeland. However, the 19-year-old says he did not feel like he was representing his home country: "Belgium is great, beautiful, but I feel more Brazilian than Belgian," he told Lancenet.
His father, Marcos, was also a professional footballer, who moved to Belgium to ply his trade, but Portuguese (which Andreas speaks without a trace of accent) was always spoken in the family home and the youngster admitted to shedding a few tears when he first pulled on the Seleçāo’s famous yellow and green jersey.
The midfielder was criticised in Belgium for turning his back on the nation, but the fact that his closest friends at United have been South Americans Rafael da Silva, Anderson (now at Internacional), Radamel Falcao and Marcos Rojo, rather than Belgians Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj, is further indication of the sincerity of his sentiments.
Even Pereira’s youth career was not spent in Belgium, the young man instead choosing to travel 30 minutes across the Dutch border to PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch club however, were unable to hold onto their talent after he was spotted by United scouts excelling at a Milk Cup tournament in Northern Ireland, and he made the move across the channel at the tender age of 15.
Pereira has played only two senior games for United to date, both substitute appearances, but now, having shown what he is capable of at the Under-20 World Cup, it is time for him to make his mark on the first team. His attributes certainly suggest that he has what it takes. He is skillful, with excellent balance and a desire to run at players (beautifully demonstrated by the aforementioned goal against Serbia), and technically excellent, whilst also being an accomplished set-piece taker. He cites his idols and role models as former World Player of the Year Kaká and current Man Utd team mate Angel Di María and describes himself as "a leader on the pitch."
With the likes of Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, Januzaj and Di María to compete with for his favoured position, the task of making United’s first team will not be an easy one. But Pereira is not intimidated by the star names, as he told Lancenet: "This is why I’m here, to train with [these great players], to live this from day to day. But I need to play well and win my place in the team."
