"Modric was the player who most impressed me at Real Madrid: 100%." That's Endrick, now 19, reflecting on a debut season at the Bernabeu that could have broken a lesser teenager — and didn't, largely because of the two veterans who took him seriously from day one.
The Brazilian spoke to The Guardian while on loan at Lyon, where he's already racked up seven goals and six assists across all competitions. But the more revealing part of the interview had nothing to do with France. It was about what happened in Madrid when a 17-year-old walked into one of the most pressure-loaded dressing rooms in football.
Bellingham broke the ice, Modric changed the game
Endrick admitted he arrived with assumptions about Jude Bellingham — the kind of distant, alpha-star energy you might expect from someone of his profile. He was wrong. "He made me feel welcome at the club. I didn't speak English very well, but he spoke to me, tried to speak a bit of Spanish, was by my side and gave me advice." From a player who had his own adaptation challenges at Madrid not long before, that kind of deliberate effort matters.
Then there's Modric. Endrick's admiration goes beyond what you'd expect from a polite post-interview shoutout. "He was 40 years old and very strong. He trained every day. When he wasn't playing, he'd go to the club and train, doing his own extra training." For a teenager learning what elite professionalism actually looks like up close, that's a harder education than any coaching session.
The Croatian didn't just lead by example either. "He always gave me tips, telling me what I should do on the pitch. That helped me a lot."
What this means for next season
Real Madrid appear ready to bring Endrick back to the Spanish capital when his Lyon loan ends. His output in France — seven goals in his first extended run of regular minutes — suggests the raw talent was never the question. It was always about readiness and rhythm.
If he returns to a Madrid squad that no longer includes Modric, that mentor relationship is gone. But the habits, presumably, aren't. A player shaped by Modric's work ethic and welcomed by Bellingham's openness has had about as good a foundation as a teenage signing at a superclub can get.
Whether that translates into a genuine first-team role at Madrid next season is the only question that matters now — and his Lyon form has at least earned him the right to push for one.
