Igor Julio speaks to Sky Sports about his pathway to the Premier League, working under Roberto De Zerbi and his dreams of playing at a World Cup; follow Everton vs Brighton on Sky Sports' digital platforms from 1.30pm on Saturday; kick-off 3pm
Saturday 4 November 2023 17:06, UK
Britain is in the midst of Storm Ciaran's three-day battering, but you will not see any signs of sandbags or flood barriers at Brighton & Hove Albion.
It is Wednesday afternoon at the American Express Elite Performance Centre in Lancing, but for the club's newest recruit Igor Julio, it is business as usual.
Come rain or shine, the smiling Brazilian centre-back with pearly white teeth and body covered from head to toe in tattoos is embracing his latest assault on the senses.
"The weather here is so cold," Igor tells Sky Sports as he strolls through the double doors of the media room for our long-awaited appointment. "It's something I'll have to get used to!"
It is far removed from the tolling of a distant bell tower in Bom Sucesso [which translates in Portuguese as Good Success] - in his homeland in Brazil - a small town of some 17,000 inhabitants, 250 miles north of Rio De Janeiro in Minas Gerais.
From the chirps of canaries to the sound of seagulls, my interviewee's manager Roberto De Zerbi was not about to be stubborn in the eye of an unwanted guest rolling in off the south coast.
A giant screen in the adjacent reception details the day's programme.
Treatment: 8am, Breakfast: 8.30am, Team Meeting: 10am, Activation: 10.30am, Training: 11.10am, Recovery, Lunch and finally Strength and Conditioning.
All wrapped up by 3pm. The inclement weather conditions push everything back by 45 minutes - but Igor is no stranger to adapting to new surroundings.
"I was on my own for the first month or so after I arrived, but I'm settling in well now," he says as he reclines back in his chair. "Joao Pedro has been helping me and I'm having four English lessons a week so I'm communicating better all the time.
"My parents moved over here from Brazil two weeks ago, too. I'm living my dream."
A little bit of rain never prevented Igor from honing his skills from a young age. His mother often reminds him of how his uncle would pick him up when he was young and took him out to the playing fields. He would only return late at night.
"That's where my passion for football began. I always wanted to get a ball as a gift.
"I was always very motivated by my parents and my coaches, even when I was in school. Since I was little, I always wanted football in my life. From then on, I got it into my head that I wanted to be a professional.
"Of course, we don't know if we'll ever achieve that or not. But I always worked and told myself it depended on me. I never imagined I would reach the Premier League. I never imagined it could work.
"Thanks to God and thanks to a lot of effort I'm here today. I feel a real sense of accomplishment."
Igor started out as a midfielder and aged 18, having already been on the books of Atletico Mineiro, he left his home for Austria without having made a single senior appearance.
Red Bull Salzburg were aware of his ability having impressed for Bragantino (formerly Red Bull Brasil) at youth-team level, but he would only play twice for his parent club in between loan spells with Wolfsberger and Austria Vienna before his next adventure in Italy with SPAL came knocking in June 2019.
Due to financial problems and the threat of relegation, Igor would join Fiorentina on a two-year loan the following January. It was here that De Zerbi - then manager of Sassuolo - became familiar with his ball-carrying skills, passing range and physical attributes.
"I always looked forward to the opportunity of playing against him," Igor recalls. "I always watched his teams as he played. But there is quite a difference between watching and practising.
"It's not difficult but the style of play needs a lot of attention. It needs a lot of personality to play.
"At first, I had difficulty with my team-mates' movements. From the moment to pass and the right moment to receive the ball. But I think that with work and with personality, you learn how to play.
"It's a style I always liked. I believe that with time, week after week, day after day, it will get better and better."
The Brazilian made nearly 110 appearances for Fiorentina in all competitions before Brighton paid £14.5m for the 25-year-old in July, signing him on a four-year contract.
He was one of the team's key players in the 2022/23 campaign but his time in Italy would end on a sour note.
Vincenzo Italiano overlooked him in the Coppa Italia final defeat to Inter Milan and, a fortnight later, Igor would be criticised by his manager for his role in Jarrod Bowen's late winner for West Ham in the Europa Conference League final.
But those disappointments have only served to motivate the centre-back further to achieve more success at his new club.
"Without a doubt," says Igor when asked if those setbacks have spurred him on. "I think we had an ending that we didn't even expect, even though it was a very good season.
"Reaching two finals in one season is something big. It was tough to lose both but great players always learn lessons from each defeat.
"I think this year could be different. Brighton can do it differently. I'm very confident about the Europa League and the season we may have. It depends a lot on our work and our desire for what we aim for throughout the season."
Having the privilege of Europa League games adds to the steep learning curve, but it has been a welcome full week of training ahead of this weekend's trip to Goodison Park after Brighton were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Chelsea in the third round.
Having already faced Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Erling Haaland inside the first two months of his time in England, Igor has faced a baptism of fire, and a resurgent Everton spearheaded by Dominic Calvert-Lewin provide his next challenge.
"The Premier League is a championship that doesn't allow you to think that we're going to have an easy game. They all have great opposing players. Every team has a player that you have to pay different attention to. I've always watched Premier League games and I've always watched Everton games.
"I know the quality players they have. The intensity of the game was very different from what I imagined. On the screen, we see that it is a different intensity. But on the pitch, it's much more intense.
"I've seen Brazilian players saying that today's Premier League is different than all other championships. On game day, the atmosphere is a unique sensation. Now, I want to get my first victory."
When Levi Colwill returned to Chelsea from his loan spell in the summer, De Zerbi was keen to find a player with a similar profile, a left-footed defender capable of operating on the flank as well as more centrally.
Igor has already demonstrated he is capable of fitting into his manager's way of playing in his role in Brighton's opener against Fulham last weekend.
Raul Jimenez had not counted on the defender's close attention as he drove forward into the opposition half before offloading possession at the perfect moment to Pascal Gross having drawn the challenge from Joao Palhinha.
Evan Ferguson showcased his potential with a precise finish, but it all started with their marauding Brazilian centre-back.
Igor has described De Zerbi's playing style as being reminiscent of the great Barcelona sides under Pep Guardiola, and believes his coach is already reaping the rewards of his work at the Amex.
While his focus is on cementing his position in Brighton's defence, representing his country remains the ultimate for any Brazilian.
The national team's head coach Fernando Diniz has described himself as the 'opposite of Guardiola' with his anti-positional tactics - but Igor's trajectory suggests he can adapt again.
"This is always a dream, always a goal of mine. Where I came from, the city I came from, a small place, reaching the Premier League is a great achievement.
"I'm a humble person who was brought up to stay grounded. Now that I've arrived in the Premier League, I can go further. I don't need to stop here and now it depends a lot on myself.
"If I do well, if Brighton does well, my opportunity to play for Brazil will come. Then it depends even more on me to stick to it and aim for a Copa America, then try for a World Cup.
"Brazil has a lot of players and the team always has the best ones. So I want to work hard and go to the national team. But I have to do well at Brighton first, I have to continue working here. I believe those opportunities will then appear."
For the man from Bom Sucesso, expect Igor Julio's career to go from strength to strength.
Follow Everton vs Brighton on Sky Sports' digital platforms from 1.30pm on Saturday; kick-off 3pm; free match highlights available from 5.15pm
