A biography for Paulinhohasn’t been written yet.
“I was getting ready to take a free-kick in a game between Brazil and Argentina. Suddenly, I saw Messi behind me getting closer bit by bit, and he says 'are we going to Barcelona or not?' I said, 'if you want to bring me there, you can. I'll go.'”
“Here in the Premier League you need to be very quick mentally. Spaces are shorter and the game is much more tactical and tight.”
“Whatever the circumstances, playing alongside the best in the world is something I can tell my kids about.”
“In England, I have acquired more tactical knowledge and improved the speed of my decision making.”
“You have to go to sleep at night staring at the wall, thinking, 'Damn, I can't wait for it to be morning so I can have the ball at my feet again!' You can only play your best football in these conditions.”
“Football can change very fast.”
“It's a gift to be offered the opportunity to play the World Cup.”
“It is special to play alongside the best footballer in the world.”
“Players always wants to play.”
“If we can't handle pressure, we don't play football.”
“I just try to enjoy the opportunities that come my way.”
“When I went from Tottenham to China a lot of people said that was it, my career was over. I had a couple of other offers at the time but they were both loans and I would have had to go back at the end. I just wanted to play.”
“I suffered racial abuse in Lithuania, and in two games the fans were making monkey noises and throwing coins at me.”
“One minute I was with Tottenham, the next came a proposal from China. I took a step back to think about it and decided it was the right time to move.”
“I am very good friends with Oscar and David Luiz, and Ramires at Chelsea is another one I see.”
“I've always looked at what Lampard does, and to me is a huge phenomenon - the way he hits the ball, what positions he takes up - he really is incredible.”
“I wouldn't say it was a relief to leave Spurs but it was clear I had to. It was a difficult time.”
“The only way I can show the doubters is on the field. Not for them, but for my team-mates, who are with me every day. We work to get good results.”
“Lampard is a great player, not only for Chelsea, but in world football.”
“Never mind where you are, you have to fight until the end. It's important you never give up.”