Igor Thiago worked as a bricky and a fruit carrier before making his name as a professional footballer – and he’s set to make his Premier League debut in the 2024/25 season
Brentford’s new number nine, Igor Thiago, used to work as a bricklayer and a fruit carrier before shooting to superstardom.
The 23-year-old Brazilian made the move from the Club Brugge to the Gtech Community last month for a club record transfer fee of £30million – catching the eye of Thomas Frank thanks to his 29 goals in 55 games for the Belgian club. And while Thiago will be looking forward to testing himself in the top-flight of English football, he was embarking on a completely different career path not too long ago.
After losing his father at a young age, the Brazilian started working as a fruit carrier at the age of 13 to help support his mother and his family. He told Brentford’s official site: “When I was 13 years old, my father passed away. I started to work at the fair carrying fruit.
“I also worked as a bricklayer. I had several jobs when I was younger, before I got into professional football and got the opportunity to play abroad. It helped me as a man, and it helped me as person. It helped me to appreciate the little and big things in life, because today I look at my life and see that I’m privileged with everything I have.”
Thiago got his first big break with Gremio Ocidental, before Vere FC took a chance on him. After impressing in his youth, he caught the attention of Cruzeiro – leading to his first professional contract in 2020. Ten goals in 64 appearances saw Bulgarian side Ludogorets come knocking. He signed for the side in 2022 and bagged a breakthrough 21 goals in 55 games.
Club Brugge acquired his services last summer, with Brentford impressed by his sole season in the Belgian Pro League – offering Thiago a contract until the end of June 2029 as their choice no.9, as interest heats up surrounding 28-year-old Ivan Toney following an impressive Euro 2024 campaign with England.
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