Thiago Silva: “This shirt means so much and I’m hugely grateful” | OneFootball

Tiago Silva, an 18-year-old midfielder, has renewed his contract with FC Porto for another five and a half seasons.

“I’m very happy. Ever since I first arrived at Olival, I’ve always dreamed of playing here for many years. I’m very happy to be taking this step.”

Wearing blue and white“It’s a unique feeling. When I step onto the pitch, this shirt carries enormous weight and I feel immensely grateful.”

11 years at the club“FC Porto is like a second home to me. I’ve been connected to this club for many years and I’ve already experienced a lot here.”

From Dragon Force to Olival“The Tiago who joined Dragon Force had many dreams and loved playing football. The big difference is that now Tiago is already 18 and more experienced, but he still has enormous ambition, just as he did when he first joined FC Porto at seven years old.”

The breakthrough season“It was last year, with coach Sérgio (Ferreira) in the under-19s. I felt that was my breakthrough season, the one in which I managed to show more of who Tiago really is.”

Football role models“I have two: Vitinha and Rúben Neves. They’re two players I look up to a lot, and I see what they did at FC Porto and also what they’re doing at the clubs they’ve played for, as well as with the national team. I really identify with their style of play and I try to be a bit like them on the pitch.”

Self-portrait“I’m a player who really likes to have the ball, to think the game, I’m constantly looking for the ball, but I’m also very committed to the defensive side of the game. I’m a player who has invested a lot in intensity, in duels, and who really likes scoring goals.”

A good teammate“I try to get along with everyone. It’s part of my personality and I feel that my teammates help me a lot, just as I help them. Together we’re carving out our path and I feel we’re on the right track.”

Mora’s praise“The connection I have with Mora is there for everyone to see. We’ve known each other for a very long time, we’ve shared a lot of time on the pitch, we’ve done many good things for the club, and those words, coming from him as a great friend, were surprising, but I received them with enormous gratitude.”

His friend Rodrigo“I get really excited for Mora. I felt his first goal at the Estádio do Dragão as if it were my own, because what he does in front of the Porto fans is what he used to do when we were younger. I’m very happy with what he’s managing to do and the path he’s carving out, because he truly deserves it. We’ve shared many moments off the pitch, he gives up everything for football and invests a lot of time to be better in the future.”

His debut for the B team“It was the culmination of a very good season for me. After the season I had with the under-19s, being able to make my debut for the B team was the icing on the cake.”

The first professional goal“I was very happy, because I work every day to get to matchday and deliver, and that was the reward for my work.”

Step by step“I’m in that transition phase from academy football to senior football, which isn’t easy. I know there are many good players in the B team squad and that I have to be patient, because I know my moment will come one day. The under-19 environment also helps me grow a lot, and I have to be ready to play in any context.”

Youth in the B team“That’s very good, because we’re young but we give everything on the pitch, we help each other, and each one of us gives our maximum, which makes training very competitive. We know how old we are and we also know we still have a lot to achieve.”

João Brandão“The coach has helped me grow a lot. I know football is about the moment and that there are tougher moments in the season, but we’re a very good team. The coach has explained clearly what I have to do, his ideas, and I’ve been taking them on board.”

FC Porto B’s upward trajectory“It comes down to the unity of the group. We give our lives for each other and that’s the most important thing. You can see it in the celebration of every goal and every win. Everything we’ve achieved comes from the unity of the group.”

The right mentality“I know the responsibility of being a footballer is huge and that we have to give up everything for football. I give up everything for football, I live a life fully dedicated to football. My values are discipline, competence and ambition. They are always present in me.”

The best memory“I have many great memories at this club. I’m eternally grateful for everything I’ve achieved at FC Porto. I’d probably choose the recent call-up to the first team for the match in Braga. Even though I was in the stands, the fact that I was with the team and was able to experience moments like that, to walk past the fans, to be with the players and really feel what goes on inside that dressing room… For me, that’s what left the biggest mark.”

The deep end with the big boys“Training with the first team is very demanding, but I’ve made the most of it. Coach Farioli has helped me a lot, he gives me a lot of advice and I feel ready to respond well.”

Farioli’s praise“It was a very special feeling, coming from someone like him. For me it was truly very special. I’m very grateful for what the coach said, but it only brings me more responsibility and even more motivation to keep delivering every day.”

The celebration in Braga“All of that is part of what it means to be an FC Porto player. Those are the characteristics an FC Porto player must have. Growing up within this club, I developed that kind of trait. The celebration with William could have been with anyone and it says a lot about the unity in the first-team dressing room.”

Tuning out the noise“I focus on what I can do. I try to block out those kinds of comments and focus a lot on what I can do and what I can give every day in training and in matches.”

The national team“Whenever I have the opportunity to represent the national team, I feel enormous pride. I’m always ready to represent the country in the best possible way.”

A clear goal“My goal is to make my debut for FC Porto’s first team at the Estádio do Dragão, in front of these incredible fans. That is my biggest dream.”

A Porto fan since he was little“That first step at the Dragão, when I hear the anthem… I really feel the games deeply. I’ve been a Porto fan since I was little, FC Porto is the club of my heart. During the matches, I watch the players in my position and imagine that one day it could be me.”

A journey through time“To the Tiago who joined Dragon Force, I’d like to say that things are going well, that dreams are possible, and that in football the most important thing is to enjoy the moment, because if that’s what we love doing most, then we have to enjoy it to the fullest. If we go onto the pitch with joy, things will always go better. I say that to all the young players who are now starting their careers, because they are young people with many dreams who must never give up on them.”

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