At the end of the first training session, Steve Cooper knew he had a jewel in his hands.
The players were joining Nottingham Forest at a stunning rate. This, bought by £ 10.3 million from the Brazilian Corinthians of Giants, with the power of only 27 senior apparitions, had a lot to prove. In a few hours, the coaches were looking at each other wide -eyed with emotion.
Murillo Santiago Costa dos Santos had marked all the boxes. Now he is now one of the best young advocates in the world.
Murillo is the rock in which Champions League football is built. Forest has recently oscillated, losing three games in four, but his defense returned to his best solid in a draw from 0 to 0 Wednesday with Arsenal, while Murillo led the way with another excellent exhibition to beat Man of the Match.
Together with Nikola Milenkovic, the Brazilian is part of Premier League’s best central defensive duo and last month signed a new four -year contract. He is not 23 years old until July.
He leads the league in block (56), occupies second place in clearances (165) – which usually end at the feet of the wings against Forest – and is the heartbeat of a defense that is in second place for clean sheets (11), behind only Liverpool.
Murillo is the heartbeat of Nottingham Forest’s backline and one of the best young advocates in the world
He leads the league in blocks made (56) and occupies the second place in clearances (165) – which usually end at the feet of the wings of the back of Forest
For those who have seen the first training session in Forest two years ago, none of this is a surprise
For those who have seen the first training session in Forest two years ago, none of this is a surprise. Murillo’s spring caught their attention instantly, as well as the rhythm, the quality of the left foot and the way he always appeared in controlling his movements.
Both his short and long pass were the highest standard and – above all – he was a natural defender.
Many young players who arrive from different leagues are gradually relieved in Premier League football. No Murillo, who received his debut a month after signing and made 36 appearances that season, ending him with the player of the year. Forest was soon aware of the interest of some of Europe’s richest clubs, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
However, Murillo’s success in England is due to much more than his talent alone. Cooper’s good work, taking the club to the first division in 2022 and then keeping them there, was improved by Nuno Espirito Santo and the club’s structure was transformed. If Murillo feels as comfortable in Nottingham as in Sao Paulo, Forest deserves great credit.
Although forest actors should be communicated mainly in English, he helped Murillo that he has the same first language – Portuguese – that Nuno. As Murillo is one of six Brazilian or Portuguese players of the team, Forest added a Portuguese speaker to the players’ service team, who tries to ensure that the lives of new hires of the field continue as smooth as possible.
Their work was worth it. Murillo feels so established in Nottingham that he and his wife Mabili Coladello held their gender revelation party on the city field in December. The couple, who married last summer, are expecting a girl. This is at home now.
When Murillo signed his new agreement, his wife accompanied him for the formalities and the forest authorities commented that both were radiant. What a contrast of Murillo’s first season. At that time, there was a strong feeling that he would overcome the forest quickly and, along with Chelsea and Madrid, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were also looking closely at him.
Although the interest of these clubs remains, Forest feels much more relaxed by this. The attraction of the two big ones in Spain – Real Madrid and Barcelona – is traditionally difficult for South American players to resist, but Forest feels that he has no reason to envy other Premier League clubs. The 1-0 win in Anfield last September was an essential result in this regard, not to mention that Forest is underway for the largest league end for 30 years.
Murillo is a deeply religious man who is dedicated to his family
Murillo forged a narrow bond with Forest Portuguese speakers, including Danilo (right)
Forest seems at home to the Brazilian now and he signed a new four -year contract
Murillo’s eyes shone with joy when he left the shot of Anfield and – as was the case with many players – it is believed that victory has convinced him that he could reach his ambitions in the city field.
Thanks to discussions with owner Evangelos Marinakis, Murillo is excited about Forest’s direction. Marinakis believes Forest can become a Champions League club and secure a new contract with Murillo underlines that.
Marinakis’s bombastic style may not be like everyone’s taste, but this is not a distant corporate owner: he likes to be present to his players on starting days, congratulating or comforting them in the tunnel and explaining their plans. He held several of these discussions with Murillo and they were vital.
Marinakis and Nuno use the word ‘family’ regularly and the players responded, forging titles near the field that help them when times become difficult.
Murillo is extremely close to goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, with the part of a wider Portuguese language band that also includes Danilo, Morato and Jota Silva.
Brazilian companion Danilo is another close friend, even if he is usually beaten by Murillo when they play video games together. Former defender Felipe, another Brazilian, helped Murillo enter and outside the field when he moved to England, and the 35-year-old man remains a mentor.
Paraguay striker Ramon Sosa and Argentine midfielder Nicolas Dominguez are also part of the South American contingent of six strong ones that is expected to grow in future windows.
Last summer, Forest recruited Pedro Ferreira da Benfica to improve its observation operation. Having spent 17 years with the Portuguese giants, Ferreira is an expert in South America and should help Forest cut the intermediary by recruiting from the continent.
Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic formed one of the best pairs of defenders in the league
Murillo was a rising star in Corinthians and the forest is committed to expanding its south -American nucleus
Real Madrid want Murillo to join his galacticas – but Forest is defending a strong argument for him to stay in Nottingham
Many Portuguese clubs make money by finding young people in South America, exposing them to the European game for a few seasons before selling them to a great profit. Forest knew they were fine with Murillo and recruited Ferreira a year later to make sure they could continue to return to the well.
Talk to people in Forest about Murillo and three words are repeated: polite, mature, respectful. While he spoke almost English when he arrived, in 18 months Murillo progressed so much that he feels more comfortable than many of Forest’s outside players in the daily conversations – although he remains too shy to speak English in front of a camera. Fortunately, there is no such shyness on the field.
The sky is the limit to Murillo. It is difficult to identify a weakness in your game and, given your mindset, it should only improve. A religious man dedicated to his family, Murillo has the kind of laser focus that distinguishes the best players and is a matter of when, not if he touches the Champions League.
Those who would love to sign him never believed he would get there with Forest. Perhaps not even Murillo thought it is possible only six months ago. However, when Murillo inevitably makes his first appearance in Bernabeu in Madrid, he is as likely to use the red of the forest than the 15 times European champions.
