In recent days, Fortaleza EC and the Venezuelan National Team have had the name of an 18-year-old pearl in mind who, due to her versatility, talent and scoring ability, has earned praise from locals and strangers.
This is Kervin Andrade, a Venezuelan footballer who began to stand out this year in the youth ranks of Fortaleza, a club to which he arrived in mid-2023 on loan.
In a very short time, Andrade went from being a total unknown to being a highly valued pearl who, most likely, will give a lot to talk about in the coming years and here at Sambafoot you will be able to learn more details about this promising footballer.
Who is Kervin “Tuti” Andrade?
Kervin Mario Andrade Navarro, known in football as “Tuti” or “El Tuti”, is a versatile footballer born in the town of Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar State, Venezuela, on April 13, 2005.
From a very young age, Andrade showed natural soccer qualities, which led him to stand out in the youth ranks of Mineros de Guayana, a team from his town.
A few years later, Andrade had to pack his bags and leave home to join the youth teams of Deportivo La Guaira, a club located in the central region of the country. Quickly, he gained the trust of his coaches and in 2021, he debuted with the first team.
After two years at Deportivo La Guaira, Fortaleza EC, a Brazilian Série A team, noticed him and requested his loan in July 2023. The loan, according to data from TransferMarkt, cost the Ceará team around 36 thousand dollars and included a purchase option.
From that moment to the present, his rise in Fortaleza was meteoric, managing to stand out with the club’s U-20 team. His big moment came at the beginning of this year at the Copinha, a tournament in which he stood out by scoring three goals and providing an assist in five games.
Due to his good performances, Andrade earned the coach’s trust and began to be taken into account with the Fortaleza first team. Finally, after becoming convinced that they had a pearl on their hands, the club made the decision to make his stay in Ceará soccer definitive.
Tuti Andrade is Fortaleza’s new reinforcement until 2028
Recently, the club confirmed that it would execute the purchase option for Kervin Andrade after reaching an agreement with Deportivo La Guaira. The club paid close to 650,000 USD for his signing, offering him a contract that will bind him until 2028.
A JOIA VENEZUELANA É NOSSA ATÉ 2028! 💎🇻🇪😍
Comunicamos a aquisição dos direitos federativos e 50% dos direitos econômicos, conforme contrato pré-estabelecido, do meia-atacante Kervin Andrade até o final de 2028 com o valor da operação sendo de 650 mil dólares. Com boas atuações… pic.twitter.com/Z7x1omjcnP
— Fortaleza Esporte Clube 🦁 (@FortalezaEC) March 7, 2024
Kervin Andrade has already earned his first call-up with the Venezuelan National Team
As if that were not enough, in the same week in which his definitive signing for Fortaleza was confirmed, Andrade also received one of the biggest news of his short but meteoric career.
KERVIN ANDRADE, O PRIMEIRO ATLETA CONVOCADO PARA UMA SELEÇÃO PRINCIPAL ATUANDO NO FUTEBOL CEARENSE! ⭐🇻🇪
Nosso querido Tuti, captado pelas categorias de base do CT Ribamar Bezerra, foi convocado para a Seleção Venezuelana principal na primeira data FIFA de 2024, nos amistosos… pic.twitter.com/aRQn2R6wGq
— Fortaleza Esporte Clube 🦁 (@FortalezaEC) March 8, 2024
The coach of Venezuela, Fernando Batista, took him into account for the friendly matches that the Vinotinto National Team will play against Italy and Guatemala, thus becoming the first footballer who lives in Ceará football to be called up with a major team.
This jump to the major is, for many, more than deserved, but it will not be the first or the last time that Andrade will wear the Vinotinto shirt. In 2023, El Tuti was already taken into account with the U-23 National Team to compete in the Maurice Revello Tournament, a competition in which he played three games in which he could neither score nor assist.
Nuestro Kervin Andrade fue titular y disputó 45' del encuentro entre Venezuela 🆚 Costa Rica.
➡️ El próximo duelo de nuestra selección será el próximo jueves frente a Arabia Saudí.
¡Vamos, Tuti! 🧡
¡Vamos Venezuela! 🇻🇪📷: @juvenilesfvf. #SiempreNaranja #VenezuelaEsFUTVE pic.twitter.com/Z6iRHD0WVf
— Deportivo La Guaira 🔱 (@DvoLaGuaira) June 5, 2023
Therefore, this call with the greatest promise a greater presence of Andrade with the Vinotinto youth teams, possibly beginning to be a regular with the U-23, but it could also open the doors for him to earn a place in the squad that he dreams of joining. to the 2026 World Cup and will compete in the Copa América in the United States this same year.
The English media The Guardian highlighted Kervin Andrade as one of the talents to follow in 2022
To close, in 2022, the English newspaper The Guardian highlighted Kervin Andrade as one of the most exciting talents to follow in the coming years.
Footballers of the stature of Vitor Roque, Mathys Tel, Antonio Nusa and Arda Guler also appeared on that list, all of them being figures who today stand out in the European elite.
Will Kervin Andrade live up to expectations? Time will tell.
