Estevao proves he's the next big thing as Henry compares him to EPL legend

Estevao announced himself to Europe's top table in some style as Chelsea thumped Barcelona 3-0 in Champions League action on Tuesday evening, with pundits like Thierry Henry and his manager Enzo Maresca comparing him to footballing legends.

After warming the bench for much of Chelsea's preceding Premier League meeting with Burnley, the 18-year-old was handed a start against the visiting Catalan giants, and quickly established himself as one of the Blues' major threats.

After terrorising Barcelona on the right wing into the second-half, Estevao eventually found his breakthrough with a sumptuous goal that saw him bully past Barcelona defenders with the ball at his feet before releasing the ungettable strike into the high far corner of the net.

The Brazil international's talent to cling to the ball as he scythes through opponents earned him particular plaudits from Henry, who lamented the lost art of dribbling and urged Maresca to ensure his player's creativity was stamped out.

The Arsenal legend also compared Estevao to one of his contemporaries for his ability to continually test rivals with the ball at his feet.

'He's painting everything,' Henry said on CBS programme Golazo .You wouldn't like to play against him because he's coming at you all the time.

'He's reminding me of Giggs. That's why I think Ryan Giggs was one of the best, because he's coming at you the whole game, whether he's having a good game, or a bad game, he's trying to test you.'

Henry admitted that freedom and boldness could yet be coached out of him, because 'coaches are scared of transition, counter attack, playing against the low block'.

But the 48-year-old stressed that doing so would hand defenders a major advantage.

'The first quality of the kid is to dribble,' Henry continued. 'Why are you going to take it away?

'If I'm going to make you tired, it's like if you stoped a boxer (from jabbing). If I go at you five, to six, seven times, you to stop me, you go to the eighth time, 'oh he's tired', ninth time, 'oh he doesn't want me any more', 10th, 11th it's easy and I score at the end.

'If I don't make you run all the time, it's an easy job for you as a right back.'

Of Estevao in particular he added: 'Let him cook, let him play. We need to enjoy these type of players.

'I mentioned Michael Olise, Bukayo Saka, it doesn't have to be scripted all the time.'

Estevao's opposite number in Barcelona's decorated squad was fellow 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, who was playing his first Champions League match on English soil.

But Estevao so comprehensively won the battle of the teen superstars after being subdued by a towering Marc Cucurella performance that the Spaniard was substituted off to chants of 'you're just a s*** Estevao' by the Stamford Bridge faithful - and the Spanish media queried why Barcelona had not broken the bank to sign his rival.

Estevao joined Chelsea from Palmeiras in a deal which could be worth up to £55million with add-ons in May 2024, but were forced to wait until he turned 18 for the player to join the squad at Cobham.

An editorial by Sport alleged that Estevao had been more interested in signing for the Blaugrana, but that the club had been unwilling to buy him due to Yamal playing in the same position.

The article suggested that Estevao was a Barcelona fan however, and hinted that in the future, the player might be tempted to the Camp Nou.

When praising Estevao's prodigious talent, Maresca had few doubts that the two young talents were the future of the sport, but stressed how important it was not to heap too much pressure on him.

'Estevao needs to relax,' Maresca said after the final whistle. 'He needs to enjoy, he needs (training) sessions. He needs to play football.

'Him, Lamine, they are so young, 18, that if you start to talk about Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, I think it is too much pressure for young boys like them. They need to enjoy, arrive at the training ground, happy, session.

'When you start to compare with Messi or Ronaldo, I think it is too much for them.'

For Estevao's part, Tuesday night represented the pinnacle of his career to date.

'I don't really have any words to sum up how I am feeling,' he said. 'It was all very quick for me. I found some space and wiggled my way through. I hope I keep scoring for many more years.'

He added: 'It really was the perfect night. [My goal] was such a special moment for me in my career.

'From the moment I arrived here, I felt such a connection with the fans. I'm just so happy I could score for them and make them happy.'