Lincolnshire teenager Seth Burkett has been catapulted to national fame after becoming one of the only English footballers to have ever played in Brazil.
The 18-year-old has been given the celebrity treatment by Brazilian media and fans since joining league outfit Sorriso EC in November.
He got his big break in Brazil after being spotted by football agent Anderson da Silva while he was travelling with AFC Stamford for a youth tournament in June.
His fame grew after they were drawn against leading Brazilian side Palmeiras. Sorriso, who play in the fifth division, lost 4-0 but the match catapulted the left-back into the national spotlight.
Writing on his blog before the match, Seth said: "I have been on television three times a day – it is crazy.
"There are flags and posters all over the town, more than even for the World Cup.
"I even got mentioned on Globo, which is the Brazilian equivalent of the BBC.
"There were 17 television cameras that I counted and all the press boxes were full.
"When I warmed up, a television camera followed me the whole time."
Burkett used to play for the Peterborough United Academy and rejected a contract from Kettering Town two years ago to finish his A-Levels at Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton.
He plans to return to England to study sport science at Loughborough University in either September 2010 or 2011, depending on how much he is enjoying life in Brazil.
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The 18-year-old has been given the celebrity treatment by Brazilian media and fans since joining league outfit Sorriso EC in November.
Burkett is seen as a rarity in South America because, while Brazilian stars such as Kaká, Ronaldinho and Robinho play at the top level of European football, very few European footballers have made the trip over the Atlantic Ocean.
 Seth Burkett interviewed by Brazilian television Photo: Stamford AFC |
He got his big break in Brazil after being spotted by football agent Anderson da Silva while he was travelling with AFC Stamford for a youth tournament in June.
His fame grew after they were drawn against leading Brazilian side Palmeiras. Sorriso, who play in the fifth division, lost 4-0 but the match catapulted the left-back into the national spotlight.
Writing on his blog before the match, Seth said: "I have been on television three times a day – it is crazy.
"There are flags and posters all over the town, more than even for the World Cup.
"I even got mentioned on Globo, which is the Brazilian equivalent of the BBC.
"There were 17 television cameras that I counted and all the press boxes were full.
"When I warmed up, a television camera followed me the whole time."
Burkett used to play for the Peterborough United Academy and rejected a contract from Kettering Town two years ago to finish his A-Levels at Arthur Mellows Village College in Glinton.
He plans to return to England to study sport science at Loughborough University in either September 2010 or 2011, depending on how much he is enjoying life in Brazil.
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