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He was born with no feet but that didn’t stop him from making it to FC Barcelona aged eleven.

A Barcelona fan, Gabriel had always dreamed of training with the Catalans and seized the opportunity to impress when invited to come along on the club’s summer training camp in Rio de Janeiro.

“He passed all the tests we give the children. Although he did not have both feet, he has terrific motor coordination. He stood out among the children of the same age,” Dr. Maurice Smith from Barcelona’s sports science department told Globo.

The young Brazilian would give his eye-teeth to replace Lionel Messi one day and has already got the support of recent club star Deco.

“His story is gripping. Overcoming all that just demonstrates Gabriel’s ability to adapt and, ultimately, the pleasure of playing football,” Deco said.

While the 11 year old has only just begun to work his way up the footballing ladder, he already has what it takes to become a real star – great faith in himself.

"Well, I may not have been given the opportunity to be born normal like other kids out there, but I am not going to let this deter my faith nor let it affect my life. I am going to take advantage of this and make the best of it," Gabriel says.