Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has hailed Raphinha’s ability to play with such a freedom of expression in a pressurised environment like the Premier League.
The Brazilian has brought a touch of Samba flair to the Whites since his £17 million move from Rennes last summer.
On top of his almost effortless skills on the ball, he has also brought a consistent end product, scoring six times and providing nine assists in his debut campaign, before taking that up another level this season with five goals in 10 starts.
Raphinha has also transferred that form onto the international stage in recent weeks, too, becoming a star for the Seleção since his debut in October.
And given the level of his performances in West Yorkshire, Bielsa gave him a glowing reference on how he is able to transfer some of his ‘amateur spirit’ to such a high-level competition.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he said: “To be a professional player, an important contribution is to possess a high spirit of amateur. I am referring to what a player develops when they play for nothing, without expecting any recompense apart from the victory.
“They are the future of professional footballers; they consolidate the most important parts of that to then become professionals. Raphinha is a clear example of this. He has not lost anything you achieve when you play for fun.
“Of course, it's added to this amateur spirit. He has had added a lot of things the professional game demands. The important thing is the development of those virtues that come from when you’re a child because the ones that come with the professional game are complimentary.
“Of course, Raphinha is recognised, and he will be so more and more for his capacity to invent responses that are not expected. That's not a virtue you obtain through professionalism. You have to conserve it, keep it, despite the professionalism.”
