Adrien Silva pays tribute to Sporting after retiring: “All these years...” | OneFootball

Adrien Silva recently ended his career and visited the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy, where he began his journey in football. The former Sporting captain gave an interview to the Club’s official newspaper, where he reflected on the years he spent wearing the lion on his chest – after also recalling the championship lost in 2015/16.

After ending his career, Adrien Silva returned to where it all began. The former Sporting captain was at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy and gave an interview to the Club’s official newspaper, where he reflected on his time wearing the lion on his chest – he also recently remembered a disappointment he suffered in green and white.

"A large part of my character as a man was formed here. Besides the trips I took and the cultures I got to know and learn from, I think that if I didn’t have the foundation of my family and then the follow-up at the Academy, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. [Sporting] means a big part of my education and development, because here we spend a lot of time on the field, but also off it, at the Academy, with other young people and professionals who are always there to give us the utmost support when we’re far from our parents and, in my case, also my brother," Adrien Silva began by saying.

The former Sporting captain continued, also remembering Aurélio Pereira: "I will never forget everything he did, both for me and for the other kids, some who made it as professionals and others who didn’t, but he had an impact on all of us. He always had a kind word, advice, or jokes to cheer us up when times weren’t so good."

"I gave everything and more. I left nothing behind in my daily life, both inside and outside the Academy. I went as far as I possibly could, and that’s what I focused on all these years. Commitment could never be lacking," explained Adrien Silva, about the eight seasons he spent at Sporting.

The former Sporting midfielder concluded, emotionally: "Being captain is a matter of character and something natural. It is a privilege to be in that picture alongside the great captains of our club over the years. Leaving that legacy, and for my children to see it, is a huge trophy."

Adrien Silva recently recalled his time at Sporting. Watch it again here:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.