While he might not be the flashiest player to don the famous golden jersey of Brazil, Danilo is surely a great servant to the cause, and one that his country needs in order to achieve World Cup glory for the sixth time.
The 31-year-old suffered hardships during his forgettable spells at Real Madrid and Manchester City, but managed to revive his career after joining Juventus in 2019. Today, he’s considered as one of the most important players in Max Allegri’s squad on and off the pitch.
The versatile defender is currently taking part in the Selecao’s campaign in Qatar 2022, and is now preparing to take part in quarter-final clash against Croatia later on Friday.
The former Porto man is originally a right-back, but he reveals that he sees himself playing in a more central role in the next years – which has already been the case at Juventus.
“I’m available for anything, it doesn’t matter and I’ve demonstrated it several times. For me it’s something natural,” said Danilo in the pre-match press conference as reported by Corriere dello Sport.
“But if I have to say where I see myself in the next few years, I say central defender, because that’s where I enjoy myself more. But then the coach will decide.”
The Brazil international featured as a left-back in the absence of his Juventus teammate and friend Alex Sandro in the previous round against South Korea, and could be set for a similar role.
“We have to wait and see if Alex is available, but it doesn’t matter if I play on the right, left or in central defense. I’ve proved it many times. I changed roles at Manchester City and it happened again at Juventus in recent years.
“The secret of Brazil is that the players are always willing to sacrifice themselves for the team.”
