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Luís Martins, former Sporting youth academy coordinator, spoke about the presence of the leonine gem on the list of 25 finalists for the Golden Boy award.

Luís Martins, former Sporting youth academy coordinator, spoke about the inclusion of Geovany Quenda on the list of 25 finalists for the Golden Boy award and is not surprised by the successful path the Sporting footballer has been forging, but urges some caution, as the athlete is only 18 years old.

"It is a sign of the investment Portuguese clubs are making in youth development and in giving these young players opportunities in their main squads. He has also performed well for Portugal's youth national teams, which are an important platform. But, now, let's see what space he can carve out for himself at his club to remain visible", he told the newspaper Record.

"His career is still less than halfway through. He is still very young. At this stage, everything is a risk, everything is premature", notes Luís Martins, who managed Sporting B in the 2016/17 and 2017/2018 seasons. He later served as technical coordinator for Sporting's U19 and U23 teams until 2019.

The coach pointed to the example of 'golden boys' who ultimately did not live up to all the expectations created around their careers: "Renato Sanches and João Félix did not have careers that matched the expectations raised by winning the award. At the time, they fulfilled them, but the responsibility placed on them ended up affecting their paths," he concluded.

This season, wearing the Sporting shirt, Geovany Quenda - valued at 45 million euros - has played in eleven matches, five as a substitute and six as a starter. In the 658 minutes played, the Alvalade club's prodigy has already scored one goal and provided four assists.

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