Exclusive: Diego Carlos dreaming of inking in his latest success with Aston Villa

There is separate artwork celebrating the births of his three children, as well as a lion representing courage and strength.

On his right calf, meanwhile, above an image of the Europa League trophy, sits the outline of a player performing an overhead kick, in tribute to the spectacular manner in which Carlos himself decided the 2020 final of the former competition in favour of Sevilla.

"There isn't a tattoo on my body which doesn't have meaning," he smiles. "It is just a way of remembering and celebrating these moments.

"Of course, I hope to be adding another one at the end of this season!"

With Unai Emery's Villa sitting fourth in the Premier League, through to the last-16 of the Europa Conference League and with an FA Cup fourth round replay to come against Chelsea next week, there feels every chance that hope might be realised.

Carlos already knows about dreams coming true. The tattoo which best sums up his outlook on life, is that of a lotus flower.

"They can be born out of anything," he explains. "It means whatever your aspirations, you can make life what you want."

Such belief has helped take him from Barra Bonita, a small town of 36,000 inhabitants some 200 miles north-west of Sao Paulo, to the Premier League via stops at Estoril, Nantes and the aforementioned Sevilla. There was also a trip to the Tokyo Olympics, as part of the Brazil team which won gold.

Carlos describes his childhood as a happy one, albeit of limited means. He has not forgotten his roots, having recently become part of Play Higher Brazil, a charity which aims to help youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds through football.

"I was a very happy kid, always playing and with close friends around me," he says.

"We didn't have a great financial situation but my parents never let me go without.

"They taught me the fundamentals of respect, love and I always had an education. They worked really hard for me to have that."

You can quickly sense those values upon meeting him. An imposing muscular figure, standing just over six feet tall, Carlos has a gentle manner and is unfailingly polite during what is his first newspaper interview since joining Villa for £26million in June, 2022.

A devoted family man off the field, he's a dedicated professional on it.

"I always want to achieve more," he continues. "It is what gets me up in the morning, having that willingness to work every day. I am going to continue working hard until the day I retire."

Determination to battle through hardship has served Carlos well in a Villa career which got off to the worst possible start when he suffered serious injury in just his second Premier League appearance. The experience taught him a few more life lessons too.

Landing awkwardly late in a 2-1 win over Everton, Carlos ruptured the achilles tendon in his left leg. He recalls closing his eyes for around 30 seconds after being told of the severity of the injury by the club doctor while lying in the dressing room.

But after that: "I knew I just needed to get through it and it wasn't worth wasting another second about it.

"It was the worst injury of my life but I knew I had a long career still ahead, so my family, my wife and my kids helped me through it.

"I got to spend more time with them, it made me realise the most important thing in my life was them."

After more than six months out, Carlos eventually returned to fitness in March last year, though it was too late to save Steven Gerrard, the manager who had signed him.

"I got injured at the time when he needed me the most," recalls Carlos. "It was quite frustrating because I wanted to help him but couldn't.

"When Unai Emery joined and I was coming toward the end of my recovery, I sat down and asked him what he needed from me.

"I still wanted to compete and obviously, I had a difficult injury. I am very grateful for him and his team, they have been really helpful and that has prepared me for today."

Villa were already motoring under Emery when Carlos was first back available and opportunities initially proved limited.

The last two months, in that respect, represent a significant breakthrough. Of Carlos' 13 Premier League starts, eight have come in the last nine matches, a run which includes the stunning back-to-back wins over Manchester City and Arsenal. He was named man-of-the-match in the latter.

"This season I would consider one of the best of my career," he claims. "After having the one I had last year with the injury and how severe it was, to come back and feel how I do now, playing how I am playing, I feel like I have been blessed by God."

The aim now for Carlos and his team-mates is to deliver on the immense promise of Villa's first half of the season.

A win over Newcastle on Tuesday, in the first home fixture of 2024, would move them back within two points of leaders Liverpool and above Manchester City, whose boss Pep Guardiola has claimed Emery's men are in the title race.

Carlos is more cautious.

"There are still a lot of games to go," he says. We know it is a very tough competition, with a lot of good teams, so even being two points off can seem like a big difference.

"I don't think we should think about that until it is very close to the end.

"In terms of trophies, it is going to take a lot of hard work and mental strength but we are doing really well at the minute. Hopefully, at the end of the season, we will have something to show for it."

Somewhere, a tattoo artist is hoping so too.