Mário Jorge names Sporting's ideal captain: he has Puyol's spirit | OneFootball

Mário Jorge believes that Eduardo Quaresma has everything it takes to become one of Sporting’s captains, if he renews his contract and stays at Alvalade. The former Sporting player highlighted the centre-back’s development and the strong performances he has delivered during pre-season.

“I know him well, I coached him in Sporting’s under-23s and I used to tell him that he has Puyol’s soul [Carles Puyol, former Barcelona captain]. He is already an important player, but he could become even more important at Sporting, hence the possibility of becoming a team captain... indeed,” said Mário Jorge.

The former Portugal international believes that Eduardo Quaresma’s development is not limited to his performances on the pitch. “He is growing, year after year, as a player and as a man, which leads me to think that he has the necessary qualities to become one of Sporting’s captains,” he explained.

“He knows Sporting well, and it’s clear that he feels Sporting like no one else, which makes the fans like him. On top of that, he is the type of player who, when he plays, becomes unbeatable,” added Mário Jorge, also recalling the important goal scored by the centre-back against Gil Vicente: “The goal against Gil Vicente says a lot about Eduardo Quaresma’s essence.”

Although he is not yet an undisputed starter, the former defender believes that Quaresma could form a solid partnership with Gonçalo Inácio and establish himself in the heart of the defence. “He has the advantage of being a versatile player, which allows him to play in one of the full-back positions, but I believe it will be in central defence that he will establish himself and even become an option for the national team,” he concluded.

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