Former Brazil midfielder Zico believes that Alexandre Pato has been given a “golden opportunity” by Chelsea and has backed his compatriot to be a success at the club.

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The 26-year-old striker joined the Blues in a shock loan deal during the last transfer window after a miserable spell at Corinthians.

Pato moved back to his homeland from AC Milan in 2013 after an injury ravaged few years at the San Siro, and after failing to make the grade with the Timao, he spent the majority of his spell back in South America on loan at Sao Paulo.

Despite having been a Chelsea player for a few weeks now, ‘The Duck’ is yet to make his official debut for Guus Hiddink’s side, with the Dutchman having already revealed that the player is undergoing a “pre-season” in a bid to get match ready.

This has led to concerns that he may not be able to make a considerable impact in west London, despite being registered for Champions League action at the expense of Radamel Falcao, but Zico believes that Pato will come good:

"It's a fantastic opportunity for him," he told Chelsea's official website.

"You could even call it a golden opportunity. He's a player who has had ups and downs but he is a top-quality player and I think he will settle at Chelsea and do very well, which will also be very good for the national team."

Zico went on to say that Pato could even rediscover the sort of form that saw him rated as one of the best young players on the planet in his teenage years:

"When Pato broke through, he was considered the jewel of Brazilian football.

“He moved to Milan and was doing very well but then injuries came along and unfortunately he really suffered with them.

“Now he has another chance to prove his quality at Chelsea and get back to his best."

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