Instant successes don’t come much more immediate than Gabriel Jesus, who has hit the ground running at Man City since joining from Palmeiras in January.
The 20-year-old striker has managed 7 goals in 11 appearances for City, either side of a seven-week lay-off caused by the knackered metatarsal he suffered in mid-February.
Indeed, Gabriel signed off for the season with the fifth and final goal in City’s drubbing of Watford, leaving him to ponder quite what all the fuss was about as far as making the big leap to the Premier League was concerned.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, the Brazilian forward mused:
I thought it would be harder. It hasn’t been easy, for sure, I changed my life completely, but I’ll never complain about it.
I’m grateful for being here, realising a dream, playing in Europe.
When I left Palmeiras, it was sad, but happy as well, with a title.
There is one drawback, however, with Gabriel admitting that he misses his mother:
Everybody is helping me here, [Brazilian teammates] Fernandinho, Fernando, but the club as well. They help my family, my friends that are here with me.
I’m missing my mum a little, she is in Brazil with my brothers and nephews. But, when she is happy, I am too.
This week we [plan to] meet and end this feeling.
With Gabriel and Sergio Aguero both fit and firing on all cylinders, next season could be an absolute goalvalanche at the Etihad.