André Silva sets the standard in Francesco Farioli's FC Porto squad | OneFootball

No sooner had he returned to FC Porto as the first signing for 2026/27 than André Silva quickly took on a prominent role within the group led by Francesco Farioli. At 30, and after a successful career also built away from the Dragão, the striker has become the main “made in Olival” reference point for the young B team players called up by the Italian coach at the start of pre-season, especially while Diogo Costa remains on duty with Portugal at the World Cup.

After just three training sessions, that influence is not yet visible on the pitch, but the striker settled in almost immediately, naturally staying closest to his compatriots, including the several youngsters promoted from the B team. And he does so with a sense of responsibility, in keeping with the Porto hierarchy’s intention of making the more experienced players an example for the younger ones, helping them grow in a context as competitive as the first team.

That mission has been fulfilled not only through the successful path he built over the nearly ten years he spent away from FC Porto, but above all through the way he approaches every training session. His commitment, professionalism, high standards with himself, and love for the club make him one of the best representatives of the much-talked-about blue-and-white mystique.

André Silva has also felt firsthand the intensity he found again at FC Porto, far greater than what he experienced in his most recent spell at Elche. Even so, despite the status he has achieved throughout his career, including several international caps, he prepared during the holidays to lessen the impact of the physical load of the opening days, setting yet another example to the youngsters that, at the Dragão, there is only one way to earn a place: give everything in every training session.

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