Some say lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice. But they’ve clearly never been to the Vila Belmiro. The rickety old stadium – home to famous Brazilian club Santos – has made a habit of giving rise to some of the world’s finest footballers. Santos is the club that produced Pele, Neymar and Robinho, and they may be on the verge of repeating the trick. Rodrygo Goes, the 17-year-old attacker who is the latest off the production line in the port city of 1million people, is reported to be close to joining Real Madrid for somewhere in the region of €50million. Despite his tender age, Rodrygo has already been singled out as one to keep an eye on for some time. When he was just 11 years old, he signed a contract with Nike, becoming the youngest Brazilian to do so, beating the previous record of 13. That record, of course, had belonged to Neymar. The comparisons between the two, given their backgrounds, are inevitable. But they are something Rodrygo wants to avoid. In 2017, when the similarities were put to him by Brazilian journalists, he retorted, “I want to be the new Rodrygo and do things that only I can do.” So far, he has gone about that task in the right way. In the Santos youth teams, he averaged almost two goals per game and won plaudits from all who saw him touch the ball. After an U15 tournament in 2016 – in which he was voted best player – Brazil legend Zico told ESPN Brasil that, “Rodrygo has a lot of technique, ability and plays for the team. He was massively important in their victory and has a beautiful future ahead of him.” The young forward, as you may be able to tell from the last four words of Zico’s first sentence, has a personality and playing style distinct from that of his predecessor in the role of Santos wonder-kid. Off the pitch, he is reported to be quiet, focused and unblinkingly dedicated to his profession, even though he still has to combine football with his school work.