IGOR THIAGO’S incredible success in football is the fruit of hard labour.
When the Brazilian was 13, his father died and he had to take on multiple jobs to support his family.
One of those was in a fruit market — but it was in those tough circumstances that Brentford’s striker built the physical strength which is key to his game.
And developed the mental steel which enabled him to overcome rejection and find himself second only to Erling Haaland in the Premier League scoring charts.
Ademilson Oliveira Da Silva — known as Tico in Brazilian football — was the scout who saw Thiago play, heard his story and set his heart on helping him become a professional.
Tico told SunSport: “Igor’s life and career have not been a carpet of flowers. Quite the opposite.
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“His life and his family’s life suddenly suffered a crushing blow when his father died. His mother, Maria Nascimento, known as Diva, was left to care for her children — Igor and Junior.
“They lived in government-owned housing and, at any moment, could lose the right to live there. It was a daily struggle.
“Diva was a street cleaner and Igor was also forced to work alongside going to school and training.
“He was a bricklayer’s assistant, a supermarket flyer distributor and, on weekends and during vacations, sold fruit at the local market.
“That is why Igor is so strong — he ate a lot of fruit and carried heavy crates full of fruit to the market.”
Tico himself had been a centre-forward, enjoying a 20-year career in Brazil and Portugal. He was working as a scout for leading club Athletico Paranaense when he spotted a kindred spirit.
Tico, 61, said: “The first time I saw Igor play he was 15 years old, at a club called Gremio Ocidental in the city of Brasilia.
“Pitches had no grass, no artificial turf — just rock-hard dirt filled with stones.
“I saw a boy with the strength of a runaway horse, almost unstoppable, strong, fearless, and with good ball control for his age. I saw aspects of myself in Igor.
“I believe that God made me go to the match so I could help him achieve his dream of being a professional footballer.
“When I started talking to him, he didn’t give the impression of having the problems he did.
“I was just struck by his impressive willpower. Once I learnt of his situation, first-hand, I wanted to help him.”
In Brazil, they didn’t pay him much attention and so the only alternative was to leave and look for other options abroad
Tico,
But Tico’s efforts did not bear fruit immediately. He recalled: “I quickly informed Athletico about his qualities and recommended they sign him.
“I offered him three times and, incredibly, all three times he was rejected. I was tearing my hair out! I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I kept reaching out to clubs over and over again.
“The moment that changed Igor’s life was when I arranged to call Bruno Saymon, who was the coach of the Vere team located in Parana in southern Brazil.
“Igor’s desire to become a professional was so great that he would walk nine kilometres to train with Vere and another nine to return home.
“Igor signed with their Under-17s team and his impact was immediate. He scored a lot of goals and helped them win the state championship.”
Thiago was scouted by pro clubs Internacional de Porto Alegre and Cruzeiro, and signed for the latter in 2019. He made his senior debut at the age of 18 and went on to score ten goals in 64 appearances.
But Tico said: “Cruzeiro didn’t use him much, without explaining why.
“At that moment, an opportunity arose to move to the Bulgarian league and play for Ludogorets Razgrad.
“Despite the rejections, Igor didn’t give up. In Brazil, they didn’t pay him much attention and so the only alternative was to leave and look for other options abroad.”
They are definitely paying attention now.
Thiago’s goals in Bulgaria earned a move to Club Brugge. His form in barely half a season in Belgium was so good, Brentford agreed a club-record deal to snap him up for £30million in February 2024.
The Brazilian arrived the following summer, only to suffer a serious knee injury in the first pre-season friendly, which wrecked his debut season.
But Thiago, 24, has scored 16 goals in 21 top-flight appearances this campaign, including five in his last two games.
He has propelled Brentford to fifth in the table and himself into contention to play for Brazil at the World Cup.
And this afternoon, Thiago has another chance to showcase his talent when the Bees travel to take on Chelsea.
Tico added: “I get emotional talking about Igor because he has always been a kind-hearted person.
“The experience that Igor went through was a story of sacrifice and overcoming obstacles for a boy who dreamed of becoming a professional to help his family.
“Igor’s goal was to buy a house for his mother. With his signings at Ludogorets and Brugge, he managed to do that.
“I imagine that every time his mother watches her son’s matches on TV, she must be the proudest mother in the world.”
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