Vitor Roque: Now my big dream is to win the Champions League with Barcelona

Vitor Roque has been on cloud nine since signing for Barcelona, and since then has been able to see the impact of his signing but recently got serious and explained how he’s preparing to handle the demands of the great Catalonain club.

The 18-year-old Brazilian striker, who signed a contract with Barcelona until June 2031, had his first session with his new teammates on the afternoon of Friday, December 29, but only after obligatory media duties.

He will now be thrust into not only the stardom of representing the club, but he will be expected to uphold their standards of excellent technical ability whilst being able to physically handle the pace and energy of LaLiga, the top division of Spanish soccer.

So how is he going about doing that? Does he feel that he is mentally ready? What are his goals for the upcoming seven years with the defending champions?

“I am very happy for everything that is happening in my life,” Roque said via Barcelona’s official website. “I’m looking forward to doing things, learning and enjoying myself.

“During all this time, I have been preparing with a personal coach and I talked to him every day to arrive perfectly in Barcelona. I am calm. I try not to think too much, not to go beyond that. I just want to help the club as much as I can to win as many titles as possible.

“I really want to do things well and win as much as possible with Barcelona. I’m looking forward to learning and enjoying the best in the world. In La Liga, the goal is always to climb the table as high as we can, and in the Champions League to fight to win it.

“Because we know that here, at Barcelona, the only thing that counts is winning. Personally, I’m here to do my bit for the team and I’ll do everything I can to help my teammates. But if you ask me about my biggest dream, it would be to win the Champions League.”

What was it like to sign for Xavi’s team?

“At first, I didn’t believe it,” Roque added. “After a while, things got serious. I spoke to my father and, when it was confirmed, I was very happy because it was my dream come true, I’ve been a Barcelona fan all my life.

“And it was my only option. It’s the best club in the world and it was always my dream to play here. Great idols like Romario and Neymar, who made history, have also played for this team. It will be a pleasure to defend this shirt.”

Who are his idols?

So many iconic players have pulled on the shirt of Barcelona, so many players who all could have claimed to be the greatest soccer player of all-time. So as the club looks for its next star in the wake of Lionel Messi‘s departure in 2021, who will Roque be drawing inspiration from?

Naturally, Roque, as a Brazilian, had his mind as a youngster captivated by the tales of his countrymen but who will he look to channel at the Nou Camp?

“Well, many, but I would say Neymar, Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho,” Roque explained. “These are the ones that I think have marked me the most.”