Da Silva Lopes can be the Best in show
ONE of the brightest young talents in English football will step on to one of its biggest stages today, when coveted teenager Leo Da Silva Lopes features for League One Peterborough at Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Da Silva Lopes, 18, is already being tracked by a host of clubs and is also wanted by Portugal, where he was born and raised until the age of 12, and England, with Football Association chiefs monitoring his progress.
But, despite being described as the finest young talent he has seen since the great George Best by Posh’s director of football and renowned salesman, Barry Fry, he is not get carried away by the hype.
‘It’s always good to hear and read nice things about you, but I can’t let it get into my head,’ said Da Silva va Lopes, who was Posh’s third youngest debutant back in April, 2015.
‘I didn’t expect to be playing regular football at this age, but the gafferer gave me a chance e and I’ve worked hard to take it.
‘I want to play in the Premier League one day and going up against top players at Chelsea will be a great experience. I know the FA have been watching me, but that’s not something I’m thinking about at the moment. I’m just concentrating on working hard, playing football and enjoying it.’
The fact Da Silva Lopes is a Chelsea fan, who could be in direct opposition to the Blues player he most admires, N’Golo Kante, adds extra excitement to a sell-out tie for him.
It also continues a meteoric rise for a player spotted playing on the parks of Peterborough for Powerleague Colts.
Da Silva Lopes added: ‘My mum came on holiday here, decided she loved it and we came over when I was 12.
‘I played mostly with friends back home in Portugal and had a couple of seasons with a proper team. I didn’t play for a year after first coming to England, but then one of my mates got me into it.
‘I was just enjoying scoring loads of goals. I had never thought about being a footballer, but then Posh spotted me.’
Current first-team boss Grant McCann quickly identified Da Silva Lopes’ talent when coaching the club’s Under 15 side. The ex-Northern Ireland international is now in his first season in the top job at the ABAX Stadium and hopes to use the visit to Chelsea to tap into the knowledge base of rival boss Antonio Conte, who impressed with Juventus and Italy before taking the Premier League by storm in his first season.
McCann said: ‘He is one of the best managers in the world and I really hope I can get five or 10 minutes to have a chat with him about the way he does things.
‘It’s a great opportunity for our lads to play at a top stadium and against world-class players.
‘We won’t change the way we play even though Chelsea are probably the best team in Europe at the moment.’