RIO DE JANEIRO, April 2 -- Changchun Yatai's Marinho has vowed to "put his head down" in the coming months as he strives to recapture the form that made him one of Brazilian football's most promising forwards.
The 27-year-old scored just three goals in 17 matches in 2017 as Changchun Yatai finished seventh in the Chinese Super League standings.
He has so far made just one appearance for the club this year, playing 66 minutes in a 1-1 home draw with Beijing Renhe on March 18.
"I'm working hard to get myself in good form," Marinho was quoted as saying by the Lance news service. "I want to have a big season here at Yatai. I'm going to put my head down in the next few months to try to help the team. I'm very motivated and I hope that 2018 can be a good year for both me and the club."
Marinho caught the attention of clubs around the world by scoring 21 goals in 43 matches for Brazil's Vitoria in 2016, helping the side avoid relegation to Serie B.
Yatai are currently second-last in China's top-flight standings with just two draws and two losses from their opening four games.
"We have to be patient to achieve our objectives this season," he said. "The most important thing is to maintain our intensity so that we give ourself every chance of having a successful Chinese Super League campaign.