“I will be important” – Barcelona €61 million signing confident his chances will come

It has been a difficult first few months for Vitor Roque at FC Barcelona as game-time has been hard to come by for the teenage forward.

Barça signed Roque last summer from Athletico Paranaense in a deal worth €61 million, including add-ons, but allowed to stay him at the Brazilian club due to Financial Fair Play problems.

The Blaugrana opted to bring him into the club in the winter, at the request of manager Xavi Hernandez. The club opted to use the salary space created following Gavi’s season-ending injury to register the striker in January.

However, since arriving, Roque has hardly seen on-field action on a regular basis. The 19-year-old has played just 239 minutes spread across 11 matches in all competitions, scoring two goals.

Roque confident his time will come

There have been questions asked of Xavi and Barcelona over how Roque has been used. But the teenage Brazilian remains confident that his time will come and he will be an important player for the team.

“I am sure that I will be an important player at Barça. Match by match I’m gaining confidence,” he said in an interview with Revista Barça (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

It can be difficult for any player to adapt to the Barcelona ways, let alone a teenager in the nascent stages of his career.

But Roque admitted that he has a lot of help from his teammates, particularly those who can speak Portuguese, saying:

“My adaptation has been very easy. I speak Portuguese with Raphinha, Cancelo, Joao Félix and Araujo. Everyone is helping me a lot, we always go together and it’s a pleasure to work with them.”

The 19-year-old also had words of praise for the younger crop of players at Barcelona, saying:

“Gavi, Pedri, Fermín, Lamine… they are incredible. I am very happy with the way they have welcomed me. It’s been very important for me.”

Roque has not been playing regularly since arriving in Barça. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Roque also stated that he has been learning a lot from playing and training alongside Robert Lewandowski, but added that the quality of Frenkie de Jong was the biggest surprise for him.

“It’s not that I didn’t expect it, but what I can see now is different from what I saw on TV from afar and the one who has made the biggest impact on me is Frenkie de Jong. He’s very good, and a great person too,” he remarked.

A big legacy to follow

Barcelona have had a rich history with Brazilian footballers, with legends like Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Dani Alves, and Neymar, among others, playing for the club and achieving success.

Talking about the legacy of those legendary players, Roque remarked: “They are spectacular, incredible players who made history at Barça. They motivate me to build my story here.”

“In my head, I always have the idea of helping the team, whether it’s scoring goals or providing assists. The priority is the team,” he further stressed.

Roque then acknowledged that his game is similar in style to Brazilian legend Ronaldo, saying:

“I think he’s the player I’m closest to. When I played for Cruzeiro I had the chance to meet him, we didn’t talk much, it was just before Barça became interested in me.”

Concluding, Roque thanked the Barcelona fans for supporting him and vowed to fight to win the UEFA Champions League for them.

“I’m very happy for the affection the fans give me. Always, when I go to training, when I enter the stadium, they shout my name: ‘Tigrinho, Tigrinho,'” he remarked.

“I am very grateful for the welcome they have given me. I assure you that we will fight to win the Champions League title.”