Gabriel Jesus Explains Mom-Inspired Goal Celebration and Why He Joined Manchester City

Gabriel Jesus has been sensational for Manchester City since joining the club from Palmeiras in his native Brazil.

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus has revealed the reason behind choosing Manchester City when other offers were available and offered explanation to his world-renowned goal celebration. 

During an in-depth interview, the 20-year-old, who achieved his dream move to the Premier League in January this year from Brazilian side Palmeiras for around £28m, discussed many aspects of his upbringing, however there was one constant theme; his mother. 

The talisman, whose youth consisted of the favelas of Sao Paulo, all-mud football pitches which his side shared with prison officers and friends who played football simply to be fed, has made an immense impact since arriving at the Etihad Stadium - netting 17 goals across all competitions, 10 of which have come this season. 

On finding the back of the net Jesus can be seen wheeling away towards the corner flag with just thump and pinky aloft; a phone, and the Brazil international has elaborated that the symbol is in tribute to his mother, who offered him the chance to chase his most wildest of dreams to become a professional footballer. 

"Whenever I score for Manchester City, my mother calls me," the frontman told The Players' Tribune. 

"As soon as the ball hits the back of the net, the phone rings.

"It doesn’t matter if she’s back home in Brazil or if she’s in the stadium watching me. She calls me every time. So I run to the corner flag, and I put my hand to my ear, and I say, “Alô Mãe!”

"When I arrived at City, people thought this was really funny, and they kept asking me what it means.

"There’s a quick answer, which is that I love my mother, and she’s always calling me."

During the interview, Jesus goes on to reveal what life was like for him growing up in poverty-stricken Brazil and the hardships he found while trying to become what he is today. 

The striker talks about the tough times he faced, including his rejection from Sao Paulo's academy due to there not being enough beds to house the now superstar. 

But despite the seemingly endless hurdles, the 20-year-old now finds himself playing for arguably one of the biggest clubs in the world, although it may not have been that way if it wasn't for two people. 

Ahead of his big-money switch to City Jesus stated he had a number of offers on the table, but following a phone call from boss Pep Guardiola, he knew where his future lay, an opportunity he believes would not have come his way if it was not, again, for his mother. 

"I owe everything to my mom during this period", the youngster added. 

"Because a lot of kids in Brazil, when they’re from humble means, they have to start working in order to help the family. They can’t do football and school and work. So the dream dies for them at that point.

"But my mother, she believed in me. For whatever reason, she believed. She told me to keep going, no matter what I had to do.

"I had a few offers to go to other clubs, and warmer places, but for me, the decision to come to Manchester City was all about playing under Pep Guardiola", Jesus continued.

"This is my first time coming to a country that is really cold and where I don’t speak the language. It’s a challenge to be understood, and it can be lonely in that sense. 

"However, when Mr. Guardiola called me as I was deciding where to sign, he told me that he was counting on me, and that I would be important to the future of City.

"That call was really important to me because it showed that he really cared about my future. 

"When you have enough of these conversations, you can tell when someone is being real with you. 

"I could tell Mr. Guardiola was being genuine — and in football, that means a lot. When he said this, I didn’t think twice. 

"My decision was made. It was City."