Official: Adrien Silva hangs up his boots and sends message to Sporting | OneFootball

It’s official! At 36, Adrien Silva has brought his football career to an end. Through his social media, the former Sporting captain said goodbye to the pitch, assuring that the Alvalade club was very important throughout his journey.

“There comes a time when we feel it’s time to move on, with a calm heart and the pride of someone who gave everything to the game he loves. Today, I look back at the path I’ve taken and realize it’s time to close a cycle that gave me everything: football. It was over 450 games, thousands of training sessions, trips, wins and losses that shaped the man and the player I am. But above all, it was years of passion and total dedication to a dream that began a long time ago, when I was still just a child with a ball at my feet. From France, where it all started, football has been part of my life from a very early age. The passion for the game was born with me and accompanied me every step of the way, guiding me to the dream of becoming a professional player,” he said.

Adrien did not forget the moments lived in Alvalade: “Sporting was my home, the place where I grew as a player and as a man. It was there that I learned what work, demands, and the honor of representing a symbol greater than ourselves mean. I had the privilege of being captain of the club where I trained, something impossible to describe in words. More than 200 games, two Portuguese Cups, three Super Cups and, above all, an eternal bond with an institution that shaped my character and my way of seeing football. Many moments will remain engraved in my memory, and every applause from the fans will be remembered with gratitude.”

“Representing the National Team was the culmination of that childhood dream. I always believed that wearing Portugal’s shirt was more than playing; it was carrying the pride and hope of an entire country. Being European champion in 2016, wearing the number 23 shirt, was the highest point of my career, a moment that makes me smile every time I remember it. Representing the country at a World Cup, hearing the anthem before each game and feeling the strength of a united nation were experiences that taught me the value of sacrifice, of unity, and of what football can mean to an entire people,” he concluded.

As a Sporting player, Adrien Silva, the former number 23, scored 39 goals and made 19 assists in 239 games with the lion on his chest. His numbers contributed to winning two Portuguese Cups and three Cândido de Oliveira Super Cups.

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