Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha discusses the ups and downs of his early days as a young footballer when he was trying to make his way into the game.
Who was your role model when you were growing up?
There are so many big Brazilian soccer players you looked up to as idols to be in the future, but for me, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo were the ones that when I was a kid I loved to see. But because they both stopped their careers when I was growing up, I then started to follow Neymar a lot. He was only 15 years old when he started and everyone from my generation in Brazil would have Neymar as their idol. Playing with him in the national team has been like a dream come true. I would always play as him in the video games so to then have a relationship with him, I have so much respect for him. I have a lot of admiration for him, so to play with him is a big dream come true – not just for me, but for my family because we would always watch his games together on the sofa.
Did you have a mentor who helped guide you?
I have had a lot of coaches and a lot of people who have helped me get to where I am today, but the most important mentor I’ve had in my life has been my father. I would always talk to him about football, I would always take advice from him, and he has been the most important part of my life when it comes to football. For me, everything I do and everything I value in life, it comes from what he has given me, so I love to give back to my family.
What setbacks did you have to overcome?
When I was 14 years old, I broke my leg, and I never imagined I could come back. Then at 15 years old, I broke my arm, and I was worried because every single year I was breaking something. But I always kept going, my family supported me a lot and I’ve managed to get here now. But everything you go through in life makes you stronger. Having these setbacks has given me the strength to pass over every problem in my life.
What was your biggest success as a young player?
The biggest success for me was when I was at Coritiba, we won a competition in USA called the Dallas Cup. We travelled over to Dallas in Texas and played against so many big clubs, but the biggest one was Man United, and I remember the scouts of United came to the coaches of Coritiba and asked about me. I think it was at that point when I really thought that I could maybe do something in Europe and my dreams really can come true. It was a really important moment in my life.
Do you have any moments you still remember from that time?
One of my biggest memories of when I was young was when I first left my home city of Joao Pessoa and flew to Coritiba. I was 13, almost 14, and I had to travel alone across Brazil. It’s almost like travelling across Europe because it’s so big, it was a four-hour flight from my city to Coritiba and it was incredible. My family are humble people and we didn’t travel when I was young because the price of flying was too expensive. But I remember the day the club called my family to tell them that I have been approved, I’d passed the tests and they want me to go there. They would pay for everything, but I would need to leave my family and go alone. My mother cried a lot, my father was really happy, and for me, it was a shock to leave behind my family, but I had to go for my dream. I remember my mother put on a party for my birthday together with my sister, as well as to say goodbye, and that was such an important memory for me.
What have you learned most between then and now?
The thing I learned most is not everything will be perfect, and that you can overcome anything if you work hard and never give up. I had some difficulties at Atletico Madrid, I wasn’t called up by the national team for the World Cup, and that made me start to think about what I was doing, and how I could continue my journey. But then the offer came from Wolves and I came here, I’m so happy, and I was very pleased that I took this step in my life. Whatever happens in life, you should never give up. Even if you face problems and things don’t go as you plan, such as not getting to go to the World Cup, just try something different and you might end up being even happier. Just keep going. Never give up.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2023/24 matchday programme. Last season's programmes - as well as the ones published so far from the current campaign - are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
