Ramires: Now picks up £11,000 a day
Now he picks up £11,000 a day after his £17million move from
Benfica to Chelsea.
But the one-time bricklayer insists his humble beginnings back
in Brazil make him proud.
For seven months, he woke up at the crack of dawn for a
nine-hour slog on the building site - which he claims has given him
the strength of character to survive the Premier League's physical
demands.
He said: "I worked on a building site when I was younger to help
at home.
"I'm not ashamed of that. That made me the man I am today,
giving me the character I am now.
"I was 16 or 17 working there. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'd
work from 7am until 4pm because, after that I had football
practice.
"I earned around £30 every 15 days."
Ramires is in line to make his Chelsea debut at home to Stoke
today.
New boy: Carlo Ancelotti (right) shows of the
'signing of the summer'
Brazilian midfielder Ramires is set to make his debut
for Chelsea
against Stoke on Saturday and insists he is ready for the
physical challenge of the Premier League.
The 23-year-old, who cost £17million from Benfica, is likely to
start on the Stamford Bridge bench with Chelsea having scored six
goals in both of their first two league games this season.
But he cannot wait to begin his Premier League career and is
under no illusions about the physical and mental toughness required
in the world's most competitive league.
Ramires, talking through an interpreter at Chelsea's training
ground, said: 'I understand the challenge ahead, both in the
Premier League and the Champions League and I'm ready for that. If
I hadn't been ready, I wouldn't have signed for a club like
this.
'I know what lies ahead and I'm looking forward to taking on
that challenge.'
Ramires has been handed the number seven shirt most recently
worn by Andriy
Shevchenko, the Ukranian who came to Stamford Bridge with a big
reputation but turned into a £30million flop.
But the Brazilian, who was part of his country's squad at the
World Cup, vowed to shed buckets of sweat in the Chelsea cause to
ensure he would be a success.