Guardiola’s visit for Salvation Army
club have been positive too. He has been reunited with close friend Bernardo Silva and has quickly warmed to Manchester, the club, and the coaching staff. As much as he has relished the attention to detail in training, life beyond the gates of the CFA is also good.
With a six-year contract at the Etihad, things look to be aligning perfectly for Cancelo and for City.
“Now he is living a different stage of his life,” explained Tralhao.
“When he was 16 through to 19, of course he was always thinking about football. He became a player because he gave 100 per cent to football, he always dreamed of being a top football player and he said a lot of times – not only to me but to everyone – that he will be one of the top players in the world.
“All his work went into being where he is now but in terms of social relationships he had very good relationships with his teammates outside of football. He was one of the kindest guys I have met in terms of social relationships.
“Now he is different because he now has family, his wife is very close to him and this future is very important to him. Now he can switch off differently than he did as a youngster but from what I can tell you he is always thinking about football.
“Joao needed to have this kind of challenge. Manchester City is a major challenge for him, a top project in terms of long-term perspective and Joao I think is trying to find stability in his life and career and there is nowhere better than the Man City project for him.” PEP Guardiola showed his class when he surprised players at the Salvation Army’s homeless football tournament in Manchester on Wednesday.
The City manager made a surprise visit to cheer on teams at the Partnership Trophy run by The Salvation Army for residents of its homelessness centres. A total of 25 teams from Salvation Army RAHEEM Sterling looked up to QPR forward Adel Taarabt when he was a promising youngster in the club’s academy. The City forward spent seven years at QPR between 2003 and 2010 and was just 14 when Taarabt joined on loan from Tottenham in March 2009.
The 30-year-old Moroccan had a sizeable impact at the club, inspiring them to Premier League Lifehouses around the UK competed in the ninth annual football tournament.
Guardiola joined forces with Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson as the duo gave encouragement and tips to the 300 players competing in the event.
“Football, fun and solidarity,” the City manager said at the event. “This is an extraordinary promotion in 2011 after joining on a permanent deal at the beginning of the 2010-11 season. Sterling had already moved to Liverpool but still used Taarabt as inspiration. “Raheem Sterling texted me a few months ago. I was listening to an interview where he said I was his idol at QPR,” he said. “These days it would be Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but when he was a kid he watched me!” tournament. The Salvation Army are doing an amazing job – they are heroes.
“Congratulations to all the teams that took part. I wish everyone all the best for the future.”
Connect Manchester won the tournament after a successful day in their home town and were presented with the trophy by Lawrenson.