Star who criticised Bruno Lage reveals why he left Benfica: I needed... | OneFootball

Tiago Gouveia was quite honest in revealing the reasons behind his departure from Benfica in the summer transfer window. In an interview, in which he also spoke about his life in France, the winger, currently on loan at Nice, revealed that he needed space and minutes in order to grow as a professional footballer.

"Yes. I needed minutes, confidence and to play. That’s why I came. Unfortunately, in terms of minutes, it’s not going 100 percent as I had hoped, but I will leave here a much better prepared man and a better player," Tiago Gouveia began by saying in an exclusive interview he gave to Record newspaper.

"Honestly, I can’t explain it, nor would I be the right player to do so. The individual and collective quality is there for us to compete with the top teams, but as time went by, the team lost confidence and that was reflected in the results. There were also other reasons that it is not for me to talk about, but it was a new situation that we had to face head-on," said the 24-year-old player, addressing the current situation of the French side.

"My confidence in myself remains intact. I know the player I am, regardless of whether I get more or fewer minutes. I know my abilities and strengths. I know what I can bring that is new or different to a team, and that is the most important thing in keeping me focused, despite the ups and downs of my career. Knowing my worth allows me to always be ready to help," said Tiago Gouveia in comments to Record.

So far this season, playing for Nice, Tiago Gouveia - valued at 4 million euros - has already made 24 official appearances: 15 in Ligue 1, seven in the Europa League and two in the Coupe de France.

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