Leandro Damiao

{Profile Updated 12/09/12}









Date of Birth: - July 22, 1989

Height: - 1.89 m

Position: - Striker

Nationality: - Brazilian

Current Club: - Internacional

Estimated Market Value: - 20 million pounds

Linked with: - Nearly all of Europe







Club Statistics





Internacional



2010/2011 season - 41 matches, 15 goals 2 assists

2011/2012 season - 49 matches, 35 goals 9 assists

TOTAL - 90 matches, 50 goals 11 assists









International Statistics







Brazil U23



2012 season- 6 matches, 6 goals







Brazil



2011/2012 season - 10 matches, 2 goals













General Comments:



If I were to sum Damiao up in just three words it would be Wow, wow and wow! He is simply wonderful! He is excellent in all departments. He is tall, strong, extremely quick, has a great touch, good movement, great in the ball, and most importantly a fantastic finisher. Damiao really is a wonderful player.



Onto his positive attributes, and there are a lot. His athleticism is incredible, he is extremely tall but supremely quick across the turf. Damiao is also extremely strong, holding off massive defenders with relative ease to allow his team mates to get into better positions. Damiao is superb at hold up play. Leandro Damiao is also a very intelligent player, he makes excellent attacking runs not only to receive the ball but also to draw defenders out of position in order to create space for his team mates.



Damiao is a wonderfully gifted player in terms of technical ability, he has a great touch but also a whole host of skills in his locker which he uses to skin opposition players with. At times Damiao has pulled a seemingly impossible bit of sill out by hauling in a ball destined to go out and then beating a defender before setting up a team mate. In addition to be excellent on the ground with the ball at his feet though Damiao is superb in the air, he out jumps and out muscles most players before powering his headers past the keeper. He is a joy to watch.



The most important thing for me about Damiao though is that he is a fantastic finisher. He really does bury a chance when he gets it, bagging 35 goals last season with a record of 50 goals in 90 appearances for Internacional which is superb. I have seen Damiao score just about any kind of goal you can imagine; screamers from miles out, tap ins, delicate finishes, chips, volleys and more! Any kind of finish and he's done it. I would also like to add that it is refreshing to see a very talented youngster who doesnt appear to have any kind of an attitude problem, he seems to get his head down and do the best he can for the team. Too often nowadays talented youngsters think they should be the star of every team and have everything handed to them on a platter. Leandro Damiao does not fall into this category.



I would have to say that Leandro Damiao is one of the most complete strikers I have seen in recent years and the scariest part is he will only get better due to being so young. He really could become one of the best strikers in the world over the next few years if he continues his development however I would advise him to move very soon as I feel he now needs to challenge himself against better opposition in order to become an even better player.



Here is normally the part where I say the weaknesses in a players game however I really cant see that many, if any. He is almost a perfectly balanced player and it wont be long before he is terrifying defences in Europe I am sure.







Would Damiao cut it in Europe?



Yes absolutely. This lad could cut it in any league in the world. He is a wonderful player, he has the technical ability to cut it in the Spanish La Liga and the physicality to cut it in the Premier League. There is nothing this boy cant do if he applies himself and works his socks off.







Summary of Damiao:





Strengths: Strength, touch, intelligent runs, aerial ability, pace, skill, finishing.



Weaknesses: Not any to speak of







The Business End of the Profile:



Leandro Damiao was close to a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window. However, wages meant the deal collapsed. The player will remain in Brazil, but could well move in either January or next summer. A deal to Liverpool will not happen. The chance came, and has since passed us by.































Cheers,



{A profile by Ed063}