Born in Rio de Janeiro in May 1998, Douglas Luiz Soares de Paulo took his first steps in football in Vasco da Gama’s youth ranks, and it was there that he made his first-team debut in 2016.

Making just 29 appearances with the Brazilian club, Douglas Luiz quickly caught attention elsewhere and first moved to Europe when he was signed by Manchester City, but it was at Girona where he made a name for himself during a two-year loan spell.

He made 46 appearances with the Spanish side - both domestically and in European competition - before Aston Villa signed him, and it was there that he established himself on the international level, earning himself Brazil call-ups and making his full international debut in November 2019.

During his time in Birmingham, Douglas Luiz became one of the very best midfielders in the Premier League, scoring 22 goals and providing 24 assists in his 204 appearances.

As well, he represented Brazil at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, helping his country to win gold against Spain in the final.