Nottingham Forest’s head coach Nuno Espirito Santo talks Brazilian defender Murillo.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo believes Nottingham Forest defender Murillo has a lot more to offer.
The Brazilian is now a regular starter, having made 25 games at the Garibaldi. It’s easy to forget that he’s still quite inexperienced at first-team level, let alone in English football.
When the 21-year-old signed a contract at the City Ground last summer, he had only played a few games for Corinthians. When he broke into the side, he immediately impressed. Nuno believes the centre-back has a great future ahead of him, despite the fact that he still needs to improve certain aspects of his game.
“It was a pleasant surprise. “I didn’t know him very well,” the Reds’ manager remarked of working with Murillo. “But since we started working together, I’ve been amazed with his quality.
“There are a lot of aspects he can work on, but he has done an excellent job and I believe he has the potential to do much better.
“He’s speedy, good on the ball, and a good defender. He is doing quite well.
“When we came, he was already here and playing. So it was about continuing the work Steve (Cooper) was already doing with him while also trying to elevate his expectations. We set him a very high standard because I believe he is capable of meeting it.”
Nonetheless, Nuno wants to make sure Murillo doesn’t get caught up in the hoopla. He wants the player to focus on continuing to improve his performance to help Forest’s bid for Premier League survival.
Murillo had been linked with a call-up to Brazil’s national squad for upcoming friendly against England and Spain. However, he was not picked to the squad last week.
When asked if the teenager deserved a cap, Nuno responded before of today’s match against Brighton & Hove Albion: “Come on, the best thing we can do for Murillo is for everyone to keep their feet on the ground.”. We must remember that he is 21 years old and has gone to a different country with a different competition.
“He is doing really well, but there is still a long way to go and many things to work on, but the fact that he is devoted to developing is significant. He’s a nice boy, a professional player, and a genuinely kind person.”
