"Nothing is impossible" says Watford's Brazilian starlet Joao Pedro, who recently realised his dream of playing in the Premier League.

The 18-year-old came off the bench against Southampton in the Hornets' 3-1 home defeat last month and, while the circumstances surrounding his first appearance in the English top flight were less than desirable, it is still the culmination of a lot of hard work and something worth celebrating, for a youngster at the beginning of what could well be a glittering career.

In a feature for the club's matchday programme, the South American spoke about his move to Hertfordshire from Fluminense and the limitless feeling of succeeding in front of his home supporters in Brazil.

"When I was playing in the Under-17s championship, my agent told me there were a few clubs interested in me and that one of them was from England," he said. "He left it there because at that point I was preparing for the final so he wanted me to focus on that, but after the championship he asked if I was interested and I said I definitely was because it had always been my dream to play in the Premier League. From then on, I was really happy and felt so motivated. There were other clubs interested in me and rumours about some big teams, but Watford was the team that presented me with a plan and because of that I could see it was a serious offer.

"Even though I signed for Watford, I stayed with Fluminense for the time being and went on to score a hat-trick the first time I played in the starting XI, It was a Copa Sudamericana match against Atlético Nacional and that night was a blessed one. It was a night where my dreams came true. One of my goals was a bicycle kick and I did it all in front of the home fans. I will always remember that night. The beginning of my career showed me that nothing is impossible; that there are no limits."

Pedro is not the first Brazilian to be introduced to the English game by the Hornets. Now with Everton, Richarlison made the same transition from Fluminense to Watford back in 2017 and his example was one the recent Premier League debutant was keen to follow.

While Richarlison departed Vicarage Road after a short stint, he recommended the club to Pedro and told him it was a great place to develop.

"When I was a youth player at Fluminense I remember watching Richarlison," said Pedro. "He was a different player then but he had a lot of potential and he ended up leaving Fluminense for Watford, as I have done

myself more recently. After he came to England, I would watch highlights and videos of him that would come up on social networks. Now he's part of the national team and like many others, he has kept going up in his career. I always

try to identify what each player brings to the table, and with Richarlison I saw that he could use his left and right foot. When he found out I was coming to England we spoke over Instagram. I remember he welcomed me and said that Watford is a great team and that he evolved a lot while he was here."

Pedro is using his football skills to pay the mortgage now, but things have not always been quite so easy for him and his family.

Financially tough times as a child ensured his focus was on succeeding as a player, meaning he could turn provider from a young age.

"I was born in Ribeirdo Preto in Brazil and even though at the age of 10 we moved to Rio de Janeiro, I still love the place. We would always go back there during the holidays so that I could see friends, and I still talk to them now. After moving to Rio we started having some economic issues. We had some properties that we rented out but there was a time when they were empty and no-one was renting them. We couldn't afford to buy things like trainers, clothes

and food. But we got through it and to be honest, I think that experience made me realise that I needed to focus on football so that in the future I could provide for my family, my mother and my grandmother. I have to be thankful to God that it has worked out.

"At the age of 10 my family and I moved to Rio so l could join Fluminense. I was playing in a cup competition in Ribeirão Preto and in one game I scored two goals - a header and a volley. After the game I went to a street vendor selling burgers and a representative from Fluminense approached my mum and asked if we would be interested in going to trials. The truth is, they were looking for kids older than me, but then all of the clubs started getting interested - Santos, Corinthians, São Paulo. We decided to go with Fluminense - In fact it was my mum who made the decision. She just felt that was the right choice, and I was fortunate that we were in the position to be able to choose which club I was going to."

Pedro describes his Premier League debut as the fulfilment of a "childhood dream" but wishes he could have shared it with the Watford supporters.

Now he says his focus is on making sure that they stay up this season, so he can share some top flight memories with them in the years to come.

"While we were waiting for the league to recommence, the gaffer told me to start preparing myself because it was likely I was going to get my Premier League debut when we got back. Every day I was working hard so that I could

be ready, and thankfully that day came against Southampton. At half-time, Gomes told me to pay close attention to the game because he thought I was going to come on soon, so I got myself readyand I really wanted to help the team because of the situation we were in.

"Obviously, it would have been better to have made my Premier League debut with the fans there, but it was still a great feeling. I'm really happy because it's another childhood dream fulfilled. I was disappointed to lose the match, but I received a lot of messages from friends and family and I was happy. The more I play in this league, the more I will learn and the better I will become. Now I just want to give my best to make sure we get the points we need to stay in the Premier League."