Arsenal footballer Gabriel Jesus has been praised for declaring his Christian faith after scoring in his side’s Premier League victory against Aston Villa.
The striker revealed an undershirt emblazoned with ‘I belong to Jesus’ as he celebrated his goal, scored in the 78th minute.
It was his first goal since returning from injury, an anterior cruciate ligament rupture which saw him spend nearly a year on the sidelines.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, the Brazilian said: “Jesus saved my life, from the beginning when I was born, but I didn’t know that.”
“Through this tough moment in my life, I realised that we are nothing without Jesus, so I want to glorify his name because he made a huge difference. Now in this shining moment, I want to glorify his name.”
Gabriel Jesus spoke of the challenge of regaining confidence after his injury, and how the time allowed him to slow down and learn about “how to be better as a person”.
“It’s amazing how Jesus works in our lives. Sometimes you keep questioning, doubting yourself. But you never know what Jesus prepares for you.
“Just keep going, trust in the process and trust in Jesus.”
Defender Gabriel, alongside his teammate in the interview, started his answer by thanking God. He also scored and was coming back from an injury.
Gabriel Jesus’ celebration emulated that of Kaka, who also unveiled a shirt saying ‘I belong to Jesus’ after scoring.
The north London side won the top-of-the-table clash against Aston Villa 4-1.
Arsenal players have frequently spoken out about how their Christian faith strengthens them as a team, with a group nicknamed the ‘Bible Brothers’ being formed within the squad.