Willian has been the shining light for Chelsea in what has otherwise been a poor season for the Blues, with the performances of the Brazilian being consistently high this season.
This has led to calls from Zico that the former Shaktar Donetsk midfielder could become a ‘national star’.
"I think he’s a great player,” he told Goal. “He’s balanced and very mature now. He’s been more constant during matches, because he was, not so long ago, someone who did one good thing and appeared happy with that, then disappeared for a while.
“Now he’s more active, wanting the ball more in every position he plays. So it’s great he’s with the Selecao because you can’t only rely on the starting XI but have to be able to look up at the bench and know what substitutions can change the match.
“Having the likes of Willian, Douglas Costa, who’s also in great form, and Neymar – who of course is the unquestionable starter – but the other two can be used in a rotation, there’s no shame in that.
“So if Willian keeps evolving like he has, there’s no doubt he’ll be a Selecao star.”
