Ramires vows to embrace challenge
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Ramires primed for Chelsea debut as he vows to embrace challenge of displacing club stalwarts
Ramires: Now picks up £11,000 a day
SIX years ago Ramires was working as a builder in Rio de Janeiro earning just TWO QUID 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.