Barcelona Winger Malcom Reveals Tough Childhood & Pays Moving Tribute to His Family in TV Interview

Barcelona winger Malcom has expressed his deep gratitude to his family, without whom it wouldn't have been possible for him to pursue a football career.

Speaking to La Blaugrana's TV channel, and quoted by Spanish daily AS, Malcom insisted that he owed his family more than he could ever repay them. "My family comes first, they did a lot for me," he said, adding: "No matter how much I do for them, it's not a third of what they deserve, but I will try to help them."

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In particular, the 21-year-old recounted the way in which his grandmother helped him: "I don't know if people know it but my grandmother used to sell cooking pans so I would have money to train," he revealed.

This story gives an insight into the tough everyday realities of life for low income families in the Sao Paulo favela where Malcom grew up. However, it also reveals his family's determination to help him to fulfil his potential.

From an early age, it was clear that Malcom had exceptional talent. As revealed in the same interview, he was one of 100 boys aged 10 or 11 who took a trial at legendary club Corinthians. "You had ten minutes to show your qualities," he explained.

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Evidently, he succeeded. Malcom was one of just three boys who passed the trial, and he stayed at Corinthians from 2008 to 2015 before moving to Ligue 1 club Bordeaux.

Yet, in some ways, joining Corinthians was a mixed blessing for Malcom, who said that he 'lost the end of his childhood', although he is now trying to make up for lost time with his friends.

In any case, both his sacrifices and those of his family seem to have paid off - Barca were prepared to pay €41m to secure his services this summer, and he was also coveted by several Premier League sides, including Arsenal and Liverpool.