Danny Welbeck has been in awe of Brazil ever since he sat spellbound on his sofa as an 11-year-old watching Ronaldinho knock England out of the World Cup.
The Manchester United forward is far too young to have seen anything of the true halcyon days of Brazilian football other than on You Tube or DVD. Yet the magic of those famous yellow shirts retains all the power of old. The last of their five World Cup triumphs came in 2002.
Welbeck had not even started secondary school at the time. But the lesson he received through his TV screen on June 21 was an invaluable part of his footballing education. Speaking on behalf of England lead sponsors Vauxhall, Welbeck said: "I remember watching that game with all my family and obviously the main memory is the goal Ronaldinho scored."
He added: "At the time, I couldn't work out whether he meant it or not. Looking back now he 100% meant it.
"It is part of the magic that sets Brazil apart from the rest and I have followed them ever since.
"Obviously I wasn't born when Pele was playing at World Cups but I have watched plenty of videos, both of him and other great players. It is not hard to understand what a good side they have been."
There is plenty of stardust in this present Brazil squad too.
The fact Welbeck's United team-mate Rafael, who made such rapid improvement in the Premier League this season, has not been considered for Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad for Sunday's high-profile friendly at the Maracana Stadium emphasises the talent at their disposal.
Main man now is 21-year-old forward Neymar, whose performances for Santos have persuaded Barcelona to stump up in excess of £50million.
"He has created quite a few You Tube victims," said Welbeck, referring to the number of internet clips in existence of Neymar making a mug of some hapless defender. "He is spectacular and someone the fans love to see."
Source: PA
