Whatever else Gabriel Jesus has learned in his illustrious playing days so far, he says whenever he is on the pitch he always strives to be true to what helped launch his career.
Gabby has lifted league titles in Brazil and England, as well as win an Olympic gold medal and the Copa America with his national team, and he says the secret of his success has been to always trust his instincts when he has the ball at his feet.
“The biggest lesson I learned is to be myself – all the time,” he says. “Whatever is happening in the game, I need to be myself, to play my game.
“When I was young I didn’t have a lot of coaching. I played for myself with my friends, and that’s what I’ve tried to keep throughout my career. I just try to be me when I’m on the pitch. Sometimes you go away from what you were when you were younger, but 95 per cent of the time I try to be myself,” adds the 27-year-old from Sao Paulo.
“What I mean by that is playing with freedom, and looking to express yourself. Obviously since becoming a professional player, you have more of a structure that you have to follow. But I think I’m the type of player who follows the structure and tactics of the manager, especially off the ball.
“But sometimes it’s more on my instincts. When I recover the ball and I go – that’s me. When I have the ball, I try to do something different. That’s what I mean about being myself.”
