Brazil's newest star? PSV captain Mauro Junior left speechless after shock Selecao call-up following Eredivisie dominance

The versatile 27-year-old was rewarded with his first senior Brazil call-up after establishing himself as a key leader for PSV, taking over captaincy duties following Jerdy Schouten's severe knee injury. On the club's books since January 2018, Mauro has started all six league fixtures this season, registering one goal and one assist. His commanding displays have propelled the Eindhoven outfit to the Eredivisie summit with 16 points, courtesy of five wins and a draw.

A commanding 4-1 victory over Sparta capped a memorable week for the left-back following his first senior international call-up. Speaking to ESPN Nederland after the final whistle, he insisted his immediate focus remains firmly on club duties before turning his attention to the international stage.

On the honour of representing his country, he said: "I am overjoyed and consider it a huge honour to be selected for the Brazilian national team. But first, I want to win the final game before the international break. After that, I can focus entirely on Brazil."

He added: "It came as a complete surprise. I didn't expect to get called up. I felt proud of myself, but also proud of the team. They helped make this possible for me."

The selection serves as recognition for the defender's tactical flexibility, having also operated comfortably in midfield amid fierce competition for places in the Selecao squad. Acknowledging the depth of world-class talent in Brazil's ranks, he admitted: "Yes, that's true. It's obviously not easy to get called up for the Brazilian national team. We have an unbelievable amount of great players."

The full-back also revealed his wife was the first to hear the news: "She was the first person I called, immediately after I was told."

Before departing for national team duty, Mauro must navigate a testing Eredivisie trip to Twente on Sunday, September 20, as PSV look to cement their standing at the summit. The full-back will subsequently link up with Carlo Ancelotti's 26-man travelling party for back-to-back friendlies against Australia in Townsville and Brisbane later this month. His maiden international window concludes with a long-haul journey to face India in Kolkata during the first week of October.