Pato, whose nickname means Duck and is taken from his home town of Pato Branco, made a flying start to both his professional and international careers.

He scored after less than two minutes of his first professional game as a 17-year-old for Internacional against Palmeiras in the Brazilian championship and set up two more as he inspired his team to a 4-1 win.

In his international debut against Sweden 16 months later, he needed only 10 minutes to score the winning goal after coming on as a substitute.

He appears unfazed by the hype, has the courage and ability to take players on, an eye for goal and a cool and precise finish.

So far, however, he has yet to make an impact in a big game.
Brazil coach Dunga, wary of prematurely handing the youngster too much responsibility, has refrained from fielding Pato in World Cup qualifiers and he was ineffective when he played for Milan in their Champions League elimination by Arsenal.

Brazil are desperate to win the Olympic soccer tournament for the first time. It could be Pato's chance to make a real impact.