The Boy in Brazil

by Seth Burkett

When Seth Burkett travelled to Brazil for a youth tournament with this local team Stamford, he was stunned by what happened next. Spotted by a scout, he accepted an offer to join Sorriso Esporte Clube in the central state of Mato Grosso and became a media celebrity as well as the only English professional in the football-crazy country.

Genres: Football

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Seth Burkett grew up in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Upon leaving school he moved to Brazil to play professional football. His first book, The Boy in Brazil, documents a remarkable season in Sorriso and was shortlisted for the 2015 British Sport Book Awards.

To date he has published 12 books: a mixture of fiction, non-fiction and children's. As a ghostwriter, he has worked with elite athletes and YouTubers to tell their stories. His next book, a collaboration with Matt Oldfield, is due in August 2024.

Reviews

[Billygraeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine you are in a different country. Imagine you are invited to join a club in the best country for your sport in the world. Imagine you are just a boy. Imagine you have to call your family to tell them and to try and get their approval. Well, Seth did it. And he stayed in Brazil to leave the real football, not the fancy kind that makes it to the television. But the semi-professional structure that nurtures the 'land of football', that keeps the magic alive. Although, Seth reports a harsh reality in an elegant but crude way. His impressions are mixed within the narrative but the reader does not get tricked by it. On the contrary, there is no glamour where there is no glamour in the story Seth tells us. If you read this book, you will not just know more about Seth's adventure in Brazil, but you will have an insight into the deeply constructed structures of the Brazilian culture and its best and worst aspects. Or do you think you know how 'joga bonito' is built?

[Emily Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very descriptive book about seth's time away playing football in brazil and getting on the futsal team in brazil.

[Mark Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and charming. Very interesting story of that part of his life.