Sweet sixteen! Brazilian wonderkid Endrick is already worth $60 million

Do you remember your 16th birthday? Did you get some nice gifts and a cake? Did you blow out candles? What did you wish for? Let us tell you what did a Brazilian boy called Endrick get.

Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, a talented kid born in 2006, celebrated his 16th birthday by signing his first professional contract with Brazilian giants Palmeiras. Yep, on his Sweet Sixteen, Endrick became a professional footballer. According to the terms of the deal, his release clause has been set at $60 million. We're talking about a 16-year-old here!

Remember the name: Endrick is a 15-year-old wonderkid already shining for the South American champions

The young striker rose to prominence earlier this season with some breath-taking performances for Palmeiras' academy, with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Barcelona and many more top clubs seeing Endrick as the next star to emerge out of Brazil. For the time being, at least, Endrick will continue to grow with the Sao Paulo-based club, the organisation that's already saved this boy and his family from poverty.

"I am grateful for the trust Palmeiras have in me. I will stay humble with my feet on the ground. Palmeiras were the only club that always believed in me. They took me in when I first went on trial here at the age of ten. They always bet on me, and this is further proof of that."

Endrick's upbringing was reasonably typical for a depressing proportion of Brazilian children. He grew up in poverty in Brasilia, the nation's federal capital. His father, Douglas Sousa, has spoken before about the times that Endrick came asking for food, and there was none to give him. At least his family won't be hungry anymore.

This lad is touted as a future superstar and Brazil international. Even at such a tender age, he's showing immense maturity and a strong character to go with his technical ability and a natural goalscoring knack.

He hasn't played a single minute of senior football yet, but there are people in Brazil who want him named in Tite's squad for the World Cup. That is, of course, unlikely but it provides a flavour of exactly how highly he is regarded. With such big expectations resting on his shoulders, it's easy to forget that he's still just a boy.

"How do I cope with the hype? I try to remember that I'm very young. I try to remember I'm still a child and that it's only a game. I don't want to take it overly seriously. Yes, I want to be serious about my career, but I want to have as much fun as possible during games."

Have fun, boy. You're only sixteen.