Vinicius Souza’s Sheffield United commitment highlighted after exciting future prediction

Vinicius Souza has revealed he “jumped at the opportunity” to join Sheffield United this summer despite offers from his native Brazil, Spain and even other clubs in England. The 24-year-old midfielder has made an impressive start to life at Bramall Lane despite still adjusting to English football and its physicality, having missed a large chunk of pre-season while his move to South Yorkshire was finalised.

The midfielder moved to England after an impressive loan spell in La Liga with Espanyol last season, with boss Paul Heckingbottom joking in an interview that he spoke with Souza more often than his wife during the period of negotiations. United initially thought a loan deal would be Souza’s most likely route to Bramall Lane before a permanent arrangement was brokered, with Souza signing a four-year deal.

The Brazilian describes himself as “super comfortable” in terms of living in England and the language, and is working hard to get up to speed. I’m a guy who lives a lot in the present,” he said. “I live a lot day to day. I’m a guy who is there and dedicates himself 100 per cent I arrive early and leave late. Ever since I came to Europe, I’ve had this in my head. For my future, I only ask for success, because I know I will work for it. I’m going to give my life, for myself, for the team and for my family.

“I came to Manchester a month before [the move] and trained at City. I didn’t do the full pre-season, because I trained a little and then they took me away for fear of injury. There were many days of negotiations, because things needed to be good for Sheffield United, for City and for me. But I already had it in my head that I wanted the Premier League, to take that step. My decision was very easy. I was distressed about not being able to train. I was very happy about the possibility of going to Sheffield and playing in the Premier League.”

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Souza has started all of United’s Premier League games so far this season and after initially suffering with cramp during the early stages of the campaign, is becoming fitter and more accustomed to English top-flight football by the week. “It’s more adaptation in physical size,” he said. “Regarding the country and language, I’m feeling super comfortable. As I didn’t do pre-season, the [others] are a little ahead of me and that hurts me a little on the field, but the staff is giving me all the support possible to recover as quickly as possible.

“I had offers from Brazil before arriving here, but my father will fight me! I had offers from Spain and even other clubs in England. But when I saw Sheffield, I jumped at the opportunity, because the coach talked to me a lot. He was also friends with the City people. I was closer to them. We spent two or three weeks talking straight away, every day! He even gave an interview where he talked more to me than to his wife, and so did I. Because I really wanted to go and he really wanted my presence.”

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Souza, who was speaking to PL Brasil in his homeland, highlighted United’s narrow 2-1 home defeat to treble-winning Manchester City as the perfect example of the challenge he and his teammates face in the Premier League. “It was different in relation to the physical part,” he added. “They are monsters about it! They have the ball all the time and work very quickly. Don’t pause the game. They want to attack you all the time. In addition to the absurd quality of everyone.

“I think we played a great game. Against the big teams, you need to be 100 per cent focused. With two minutes left we made a mistake that we hadn’t made all game. When you make a mistake against a team like that, there’s no way around it. Of course I didn’t want to lose, but it was a good job by the team. Rodri impressed me. Every athlete takes a reference from their position. Few people realize how far he has come to finish. How many times he touched the ball. It was absurd. He surprised me much, much more than Haaland or anyone else.”