My Country and Me: João Gomes

Aston Villa. A club steeped in tradition and international heritage. A club which has been represented across its rich, proud history by no less than 52 different nationalities.

Players have arrived from all over the world – countries both near and far – and pulled on the famous claret and blue colours over the course of 152 years.

From Belgium to Brazil and Spain to Switzerland, Villa’s current men’s first team boasts no less than 16 different nationalities, making for an interesting and unique mix of cultures, backgrounds and experiences in the dressing room.

And, this season, we will be delving into these nationalities a little more. Over the course of the campaign, we’ll speak to a number of Unai Emery’s first team stars, finding out a little more on their relationships with their respective countries, and how their nationality has shaped the player and person they are today.

This is My Country and Me, and up first, fresh from a recall to his national team's squad ahead of the November international break, is our all-action Brazilian midfielder, João Gomes.

Born 25 years ago, Gomes was raised in the working-class favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

Despite economic hardship, the resilience to keep smiling and harness the country’s love for football developed tough characters who would go on to excel for club and country.

What was it like growing up in Rio? Talk to us about your childhood, your influences and your upbringing.

I remember always playing football in the street with my friends. I have lots of memories from when I was a kid, playing football in the streets, always with my friends.

Obviously, it wasn’t an easy situation, partly because of the economic issues in Brazil, but we always kept a smile on our faces. That was one of the things that left the most positive mark on my childhood.

On the pitch, you’re quite aggressive, a bit of a fighter. At Flamengo, they called you ‘The Pitbull’. How much of that is down to playing football in Rio as a child? Did that shape the footballer you are today?

I think it comes from my character. I’ve always been very competitive. I always wanted to be among the best. That gave me a will to win, maybe bigger than other people’s.

So, whenever I step onto the pitch, I try to give every last drop of sweat I can so that our team comes away with the win.

How special was it playing football in Brazil when you were younger? And how good was it to be from a place where football is so famous and so loved?

Well, basically, it’s the dream of every child born in Brazil to become a great footballer. As a Brazilian, I feel part of that too.

I feel I’ve achieved a dream that most kids want to achieve. So, I’m very grateful for everything that’s happening in my life, and for me it's a huge source of pride.

Carrying his country’s heritage through a hobby he took up when he was younger, Gomes explains how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu allows him to maintain his aggressive style of play on the field while demonstrating a level of self-control.

A childhood friend of former Villan Douglas Luiz, the pair grew up together in neighbouring favelas, with the club’s current midfield starlet having the honour of sharing the occasion of his senior international debut with his friend, at Wembley in 2024.

Something that perhaps is not too commonly known - you practise Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. How did that happen? Was it as a child? And is it important as a way of carrying Brazil’s heritage with you?

At first, I started doing it to avoid injuries. I didn’t have much mobility before, so I started practising to become more physically flexible and avoid certain types of injury.

But then, I fell in love with everything the art represents: its hierarchy and, above all, its self-control. So today I’d say Jiu-Jitsu is my second or third favourite sport.

You made your senior Brazil debut in 2024. What do you remember from that, and how proud did it make you?

I felt very happy and fulfilled, because it’s the dream of every child, every person, to represent their country. And I got to make my debut on such an important stage as Wembley.

So, I feel very happy and fulfilled to be part of moments like that in my career. Basically, it was a dream come true.

You’re very close with Douglas Luiz, one of our former players. Talk to us about your relationship. You’ve known each other since you were quite young?

Yes, he’s a wonderful person, and not just him, but his whole family too.

We were born and raised in neighbouring favelas, so I feel he comes from the same reality as me.

He was very happy and proud to represent a club as big as Aston Villa. He made his history here, and I really want to make my history here too.

Unsurprisingly, when asked about what he misses the most about his native Brazil, the answer regards the weather back at home, and how it compares with the typically colder climate here in Birmingham.

Gomes does, however, admit he has found a home here in England and the midlands, having arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer, and is able to balance his life here with trips back to Rio visiting friends and family.

Living in England, and when you were at Wolves, what do you miss most about Brazil?

I think mainly the weather. The weather and my friendships. People here have welcomed me so well that I hardly miss anything.

Whenever I’m on holiday, I go to Rio de Janeiro. It’s my place to be happy and see my family and my friends. That’s when I'm happy.

Basically, the weather and friendships. But apart from that, I feel at home.

And finally, what is the best thing about Brazil?

It’s very hard to say one thing, but if I had to say one, I’d say the climate and the temperature.

It’s always hot, always sunny. That’s the best thing. Very different to England!

Despite having only spent the best part of three months at Aston Villa, Gomes has already found his home in B6, with tenacious performances on the field earning him a recall to the Brazil senior side ahead of this month's internationals. 

With he and his young family already settled in the area, a close friendship with a fan favourite former Villan, and the fact he shares the dressing room with another of his compatriots in Alysson, João Gomes' Brazilian connection at Villa is certainly a strong one.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of My Country and Me.