Arsenal youngster Marquinhos appears to have been given a new nickname by his teammates.
The Gunners signed the teenager from Brazilian giants Sao Paulo in a deal worth £3 million (Goal) this summer. Edu’s connections in his home country are really helping us out, and Marquinhos looks like a gem.
The 19-year-old was given a chance in pre-season, but it’s at the under-21s level where he’s really shining, having scored three goals and picked up an assist in just two starts.
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Marquinhos gets a new nickname that once belonged to an Arsenal legend
Arsenal released a training video on their official website today, and Marquinhos was involved.
In a training drill, the teenager showed off his quick feet to evade a tackle from Granit Xhaka. Just as he did that, a voice from behind the camera is heard saying ‘Yes Rocky!’ (Football London)
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That’s not a bad nickname to have at all considering that the late great David Rocastle was popularly known as Rocky as well.
Rocastle was Arsenal through and through, and fans absolutely loved him. He played over 225 games for us in all competitions and is an absolute legend at the club.
Rocky passed away at the young age of 33, but he’s still remembered fondly at Arsenal.
Marquinhos has a bright future
The last teenager Arsenal signed from Brazil – Gabriel Martinelli – turned out to become a fan favourite. He really is a superstar in the making, and Marquinhos could well follow in his compatriot’s footsteps.
The 19-year-old started Arsenal’s under-21 games against Manchester United and West Ham recently. He scored and picked up an incredible assist against the Red Devils in the opening game, before banging in a brace against the Hammers just a few days ago.
Marquinhos really looks like a quality player, and it is no surprise that Arteta has been calling him up to first-team training sessions. He has impressed everyone, including Granit Xhaka, who revealed that the youngster actually reminds him of Martinelli.
Xhaka said about two weeks ago: “He reminds me of Gabi Martinelli when he first came. “Everyone was saying ‘yeah he will go to the under-23s first’ and stuff like this, but how Gabi adapted at this level was unbelievable, and I have the same feeling with Marquinhos as well.”
