Pepê: “Thiago Silva? Sharing a dressing room with an icon is special” | OneFootball

Pepê recently completed his fifth season at FC Porto, in a spell marked by Thiago Silva’s arrival in the winter transfer window, a moment that coincided with the Brazilian forward’s time at the club.

In an interview with globoesporte, Pepê admitted he was amazed by the signing of the experienced centre-back and by the conversations he had with William Gomes, also acknowledging how nervous he felt being alongside a “world reference”.

“I’ll be honest. When he arrived at the club, I even said to William Gomes: ‘Thiago Silva is here.’ We were even a bit nervous. It felt like we had just arrived at FC Porto and he had already been here for a long time. A man like him, who has won everything in football, with the experience and history he has, commands huge respect. Today we’re already more relaxed because he gives us freedom, but it’s very special to share a dressing room with a world reference,” he said.

Pepê also recalled Hulk as one of the biggest names in FC Porto’s history, especially because of the way the former Fluminense winger’s name continues to be mentioned. Without forgetting his idol, Neymar, the 29-year-old says he draws inspiration from his compatriot’s “joy” in everything he does on the pitch.

“When I arrived in Porto, everyone talked about Hulk. To this day they still do. He is one of the greatest idols in the club’s history. I always heard that if I were to follow the path of a Brazilian player who had been at FC Porto, it should be his. I always tried to do that so that one day, who knows, I might get close to his level,” he added.

“Neymar is my biggest idol in football. I’ve followed him since I was little and I’m very inspired by the joy he has always had for playing football, as well as his boldness on the pitch. I had the pleasure of meeting him and it was a dream for me. He is the star of our generation. He showed up during the Copa América to greet the guys and I got nervous, just as happened with Thiago Silva,” he said.

This season, Pepê recorded four goals and six assists in the 48 matches he played for the Dragons’ first team.

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