Enzo Maresca couldn’t hide his excitement when speaking about Chelsea wonderkid Estevao Willian after the Brazilian teenager became the club’s youngest-ever scorer in the Champions League.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Maresca said: “It’s exciting to see him,” before praising the maturity and attitude of the 18-year-old forward who continues to impress since joining the Blues.

Maresca highlighted that while young players often get carried away after early success, Estevao has remained grounded.

He said: “The good thing about Estevao, sometimes with young players you are worried because after one game playing well and they think they are top. But Estevao is polite, humble and wants to learn. His family did a job there. We are happy in the way he performs but also because he is a nice boy, a good boy.”

The Chelsea boss went on to make an intriguing comparison between Estevao and Cole Palmer, one of Chelsea’s standout stars this season. “For me he is very similar to Cole Palmer, who I had at a very similar age at Man City,” Maresca revealed.
Maresca, who worked closely with Palmer during his time in Manchester City’s youth setup, explained how both players share a similar development path.

He went on: “Cole started to play wide because he needed to build his physicality and now he is playing inside. With Estevao, they are quite similar. Now he is playing wide but in the future I think he is more of an inside player.”

This insight from Maresca offers a glimpse into Chelsea’s long-term vision for Estevao. Like Palmer, who has blossomed into one of the Premier League’s most intelligent playmakers, Estevao could soon transition from the wings into a more central creative role — a move that could unlock even more of his natural talent.