AC Milan’s star Junior Messias made a new mark in his amazing career in his breakthrough season by netting his first-ever goal for the Serie A team on his Champions League debut which was pivotal in helping the team maintain a place in the European tournament for the season.
The 30-year-old star was able to find the back of the net in the 87th minute to give the Italian side a 1-0 lead and victory against La Liga giants Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday. Their clash against the Spanish team was among the daily football bet for the week, which will also include their clash against Sassuolo this weekend.
This is considered a huge leap in fortune for the Brazilian player, who was playing at the amateur level a few years ago while doing part-time jobs like refrigerator delivery man to make ends meet at the time.
The 30-year-old Brazilian, who was a player at the amateur level just two years ago in Italy, made his entrance to Wednesday’s night football in the 64th minute for the Rossoneri, who were desperate for a goal to avoid elimination from 2021/22 Champions League campaign.
A short twenty minutes passed and he became RadeKrunic’s team hero, after delivering a stunning header past Jan Oblak to find the back of the net, which was the only goal of the game, to make AC Milan level with Atletico on four points and one point away from Porto, who sits second behind group winners Liverpool.
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video Italia, Messias said: “I am very happy with the performance and the victory, it means we are still alive, but there’s a lot of work still to be done.
“It was all instinct, I just followed the move and kept calm as the ball came my way. When you are calm, you can do great things.
“What happened is the most important moment of my career, but humility is still so important. I mustn’t get downbeat with criticism, nor elated by compliments.
“I dedicate this goal to my family and all those who believed in me.”
The Brazilian forward, who is currently on loan from Crotone, have only been able to register two appearances for the Rossoneri before his heroic display and his amazing rise from a refrigerator delivery man to AC Milan’s Champions League saviour on Wednesday night football.
The former Cruzeiro youth star moved to Italy in search of work back in 2011 and he was able to secure employment in the form of making deliveries for an appliance store in Turin.
The little link he has with football was in an amateur division, where he was playing with a team along with Peruvian national residents in Turin.
His talents didn’t go unnoticed, as the delivery man’s talent was spotted by ex-Torino player Ezio Rossi who approached Messias and asked him to join fifth-tier side Casale, but the player reject the chance as it would be placing a dent on his work schedule.
However, Rossi remain keen till the player eventually gave in and started climbing up the Italian ladder before he ended up helping Crotone secure promotion from Serie B to Serie A in the 2019/20 campaign.
Although Crotone’s stay in the Italian top flight was only for a season, Messias’ nine goals in 36 games were enough to convince Milan to take the player on a one-year loan with an option to buy, if all ends well, at the end of 2020/21.
Thanks to his heroic acts, AC Milan might feel inclined to start or substitute him in their next Serie A game against Sassuolo this weekend, and all eyes will be on the star.