Fulham star Andreas Pereira revealed a bizarre pre-match ritual which he undergoes ahead of important games.
Tottenham host Fulham in the Premier League on Monday evening, hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Ange Postecoglou's men went into the international break top of the Premier League table after claiming six wins and two draws from their opening eight encounters.
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Meanwhile, Fulham have endured an inconsistent season so far, though did knock Spurs out of the Carabao Cup on penalties earlier this season.
Should Pereira feature in Marco Silva’s line-up for the Monday evening kick-off, he may undergo his pre-match routine of rubbing Brazil legend Kaka’s shorts on his legs.
Indeed, speaking to ESPN Brazil ahead of the game Pereira recalled meeting the iconic midfielder, and how it led to one of the more peculiar pre-match routines.
Pereira said: “It was a Champions League match between Manchester and Real Madrid and I was a ball boy.
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“Alex Ferguson asked the U21 and U18 players if they wanted to be ball boys because he needed the ball quicker and so on. After the game, I waited and saw Kaka. I asked for his shirt, but he said he’d already changed. Then I said: anything then, a sock, shorts, I don’t know.
“He said he had a pair of shorts, I said it would do. He gave it to me, it was incredible, and the shorts are still in a safe to this day. Every now and then, before an important game, I go and get them to give me confidence, to rub on my leg.”
Pereira also opened up about a recent episode where he was able to speak to Kaka once more, thanks to Fulham team-mate and compatriot Willian.
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He said: “Two weeks ago, I was at Willian’s house and he asked me who I really admired. I said I’d always liked Kaka a lot, because of his style of play, he was an example to me.
“He said he knew Kaka and said he was going to ring him. I thought: he must be joking. I kept quiet, it put me off. He called, I heard his voice and I couldn’t stand it, I cried. I spoke to him, to this day I can’t believe I spoke to Kaka. Everyone was in shock.
“Kaka even said that when he came here we were going to do something, and I joked with Willian: don’t even call me, I’ll freeze at the table. He’s always been an idol to me, I’ve always liked his style. A very special person.”
When asked if he’s taking the shorts to the game against Tottenham, Pereira said: “I don’t know if I will, no. Something might happen to the shorts. I’ll leave them at home.”
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Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Football, Andreas Pereira, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Kaka, Willian, Brazil