On a different timeline, Alexandre Pato would be starring under the bright lights of UEFA Champions League games and in the World Cup with his native Brazil.
Thatās not a far-fetched possibility, either, for a one-time wunderkind whose early career saw him thrive at AC Milan, where he won 2009ās Golden Boy Award, and then net 10 goals across 27 caps with the Seleção.
But things didnāt unfold that way, of course, and the Orlando City SC striker would like to set the record straight as to why.
āI think itās time to put things right,ā Pato wrote in a moving Players' Tribune story. āIām 32 now. Iām happy. Iām fit. Iām not bitter about anything or anyone. If you want to believe the rumors, Iām not here to change your mind.ā
Those whispers surrounded Patoās rise and eventual journey through the proverbial footballing desert, with limited returns at Chelsea and Villareal before a spell in China and various stints at Brazilian Serie A clubs, where his career started with boyhood Internacional.
Injuries, mental health, relationships and possible transfers are all central to Patoās story. He knows what the possibilities were for club and country, and how fans discuss the what-could-have-beens.
āCould my career have gone differently? For sure,ā Pato said. āBut itās easy to look back and say what I should have done. When you are there, you donāt see the big picture. So, no regrets. Look at the bright side, man. Iām fit. My mental health is great. Iām still in love with football."
Now, heās in his second season at Orlando and has become a key player for Oscar Parejaās team. But even this stop included a major obstacle, a knee injury that derailed most of his 2021 campaign. Pato ācould have broken down,ā he freely admits.
Patoās instead roared back and found new joy with the Lions. The days of being told heād become a world-great and Ballon D'Or winner got to him, though, leading to a greater appreciation for what he has today.
"I began dreaming too much," Pato said. "Even though I was still working hard, my imagination was taking me all kinds of places. In my head I was already holding the Ballon dāOr. You canāt help it, man. Itās very hard not to get affected."
For more from Pato, check out the entire Players' Tribune story here.