Erik, the Al Ain defender, says he is committed to his club and his adopted country after seeing a dream transfer to Brazil rebuffed.
It has been a busy two weeks for the 24-year-old full-back. Botafogo, the Rio de Janeiro giants, made a bid to take him on loan during the summer transfer window.
The offer to join the club who won the Brazilian championship and Copa Libertadores last year was turned down by Al Ain. He remains central to the 2024 AFC Champions League winners’ plans to return to their former glories.
While that was happening, Erik was in camp with the UAE national team. He made his debut in the 3-1 win over Syria in Dubai on Thursday night, then played again in the 1-0 win over Bahrain on Monday at the same venue.
The matches were organised as part of the UAE’s preparations for the seminal World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Qatar next month.
If they top that three-team play-off in Doha, the national team will qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
The fact the fixtures against Syria and Bahrain were only friendlies mean Erik still remains eligible to play for Brazil, the country of his birth.
After playing two first-team matches for Internacional, the top-tier side from Porto Alegre in Brazil, he moved to Al Ain in 2020.
As per Fifa’s eligibility rules, he qualified to represent the UAE this year after five years residency in the country. Until he plays a competitive fixture, though, he will remain dual qualified.
Despite the potential for divided loyalties, he said he was thrilled to make his first appearances in UAE colours.
“I am happy, it is like a dream come true representing the national team,” Erik told The National.
The UAE started with seven overseas-born players in their starting line-up against Bahrain. All are focused on the main objective, which is qualification for the next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“We are ready, ready for the biggest games of our lives,” Lucas Pimenta, the Brazil-born centre-back, said after the win over Bahrain, looking ahead to the play-off in Doha.
Erik said he is grateful to have arrived in the squad at such an important time, and says the players are excited by what lies ahead.
“The players like the games at the highest level,” Erik said. “It is a very important moment. I have only come [into the team] now and it is a very important situation for the team.
“For me, that is beautiful. I want to be ready. I want to give my best so that we can create something special.”
Erik said he did foresee representing the UAE as soon as he made his move to Al Ain, but it seemed a distant possibility at that time.
“In the beginning they spoke about the passport and the motivation of new players in the resident category,” Erik said of becoming eligible for the UAE.
“But that seemed very far in the future at that moment. That was five years ago. Of course, it seemed very far away, but now it has come true.
“Thanks to God. We want to do something special for football in this country and we hope we can continue to do that.”
In addition to Botafogo, Erik has also attracted interest from Sao Paulo, as well as his former club, Internacional.
“Brazil’s is one of the first or second leagues in the world in terms of difficulty,” Erik said.
“It is a high level. Every team can become champions, and even the biggest team can go into the second division. That is the premier league of Brazil.
“If a team like Botafogo, who can take the Libertadores or take the Brazilian league, come for you, it makes me proud to receive an offer from them.
“I have a contract with Al Ain [until 2028], and I need to respect my contract. Botafogo sent an offer to Al Ain. Al Ain didn’t accept that, and I want to continue to give my best here.”
Erik appeared as a second-half substitute in the win over Bahrain. It was secured via a first-half goal for another Brazil-born player, Luan Pereira.
The Sharjah forward chipped the goalkeeper having been put through by Nicolas Gimenez, the Al Wasl midfielder who impressed in his second game for the national team.
