When Vinicius Junior pounced in the Champions League final last year to fire Real Madrid to a 1-0 win over Liverpool and lift the trophy for a record 14th time, it seemed like a career milestone and also a platform to build on.

After years of criticism for his finishing and decision-making, sometimes even from his own fans, it was at once the perfect riposte and proof he belonged among the elite.

Forced to step into Cristiano Ronaldo's shoes when Madrid's all-time top goalscorer left in 2018, it seemed too much too soon for Vinicius – it would have been for almost anyone, let alone a teenager.

The Brazilian forward exploded at Madrid in the 2021-22 season, hitting 22 goals across all competitions, having managed just 14 in total across the three campaigns prior.

Read full story on www.sportsdesk.com.mt

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.