Marcelo Vieira

Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior, commonly known as Marcelo or Marcelo Vieira s a Brazilian footballer who plays for Spanish side Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team.

He debuted his club career from Fluminense in 2005 and joined Real Madrid in 2007.  He represented Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, reaching to the semi-finals and was named to the tournament's Dream Team.

Marcelo was praised by football legends such as Paolo Maldini and Diego Maradona after his breakthrough season and also called him the best in his position.

Early Life of Marcelo

He was born on May 12, 1988, in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a versatile player and can play as either a defender or attacker, he also boasts excellent pace and stamina. Marcelo started playing five-a-side football at the age of 9 and by 13 he was at Fluminense.

He came from a poor family and almost had to leave the football academy as his family couldn’t afford to pay the bus fare to get him to training.

Nevertheless, his determination and his ability made him fight for what he loved and he was best at football. Marcelo came to Europe when he was 18 having already triumphed in Brazil.

He is a very fast, attacking full-back who has worked hard since his arrival to take the opportunities that his coaches have given him to secure a place in the first team.

Marcelo's Career

Marcelo's first team was Fluminense, for which he played three months and signed for Real Madrid on November 15, 2006. He made his debut for Real Madrid in early 2007, with the misfortune of injury within days of starting to count for Fabio Capello.

In January 2007, when he arrived at Real Madrid, was severely criticized for his less than regular performances; in the first game he played (which was against Deportivo) was injured. Marcelo played his first game against Racing whole rather dull too.  

It was in the 2007-2008 season when Real Madrid coach gave him confidence after the departure of Roberto Carlos to Fenerbahce, Heinze returns to the central position of left-handed and differences in Drenthe with Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster.

With the arrival of Juande Ramos on the bench, Madrid Marcelo start playing left end and manages to get tenure in that position, making great performances and earning the affection of the public who until recently had been booed and criticized for their poor performances.

On February 15, 2009, Marcelo scored his first goal as Real Madrid in El Molinon, with subtle Vaseline. The attendance was a great heel of Gonzalo Higuain.

Personal Life of Marcelo

Marcelo currently plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national squad. He is active on Twitter and Instagram with million of fan followers.

He has a number of tattoos, including his shirt number and day of birth (12) tattooed onto his left arm. He has also inked his grandfather Pedro on his arm. San Pedro is his grandfather who paid the money so he could keep playing football back in Brazil.

Marcelo is a married man and has two children. Marcelo married his longtime girlfriend Clarice Alves in 2008. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Enzo Gattuso Alves Vieira on 24 September 2009. Their second son, Liam was born on 1 September 2015.

Marcelo dedicates every goal to him and his wife. He said for Real Madrid TV that if it wasn't for Pedro he would have never played football for Fluminense. His grandfather died in July 2014, during the World Cup.

On 26 July 2011, Marcelo attained Spanish nationality, which allows him to be registered normally rather than as a non-EU player, of which there is a strict quota allowed. He is a supporter of Botafogo FR from Rio de Janeiro and said that he has a wish to play for the club

Net Worth, Salary, Awards, and Achievements

Marcelo's net worth is $16 million at present. He earns a salary in millions from his playing career. His current market value is €60 million.

Started his career from a Brazilian based sports club, Fluminense in 2005, he moved to the Spanish side Real Madrid for the transfer fee of $8 million, which was regarded as one of the biggest jumps in the football history.

Marcelo receives a weekly salary of £100,000, which coupled with bonuses, takes his annual income to around £5.2 million.

He stands at the height of 1.72 m and a weight of 75 kg. He has shown a great effort and contribution to his team (Real Madrid ) to lift up the trophy in various leagues including Primera Division, Copa del Rey, and Super Cup.

Also, he was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the Confederations Cup 2013 and International Champions Cup.