Adriano: Where is the Brazil and Inter Milan legend now?

Adriano is a Brazilian legend.

The striker may not be the best talent to emerge from the South American country of his generation with the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos forming one of the greatest international sides in history.

But Adriano is just as iconic as the aforementioned trio.

The striker earned 48 caps for his country, scoring 27 goals.

And, at one stage of his career, he was one of the most exciting talents in world football.

Add to that the fact his powerful left foot was made famous by the Pro Evolution Soccer video game and Adriano became a household name.

In the early 2000s, he found himself at Inter Milan and seemed destined for greatness.

But the death of his father in 2004 changed everything.

He then struggled with alcohol problems and depression as his career spiralled out of control.

He was loaned out to Sao Paulo in his native country in an attempt to get his career back on track. But he eventually retired in May 2016, failing to fulfil his incredible potential.

After hanging up his boots, Adriano could boast 14 major honours, including the 2004 Copa America and four Serie A titles. He also finished in the top seven of the Ballon d’Or twice. 

A fantastic career but it could have been so much more.

In a moving article for the Players’ Tribune, Adriano explained how his father’s death when he was just 22 effectively ended his career.

“After that day, my love for football was never the same,” Adriano explained of the day he got that awful phone call while in Milan.

“He loved the game, so I loved the game. It was that simple. It was my destiny. When I played football, I played for my family. When I scored, I scored for my family.

“So when my father died, football was never the same.

“I