Cancelo shirt swap for mum
STAR’S EMOTIONAL NO.7
JOAO CANCELO has revealed that he is now wearing the No.7 shirt at Manchester City to honour the memory of his mother after she was tragically killed in a car accident nine years ago.
Cancelo was a teenager progressing through the ranks at Benfica when mum Filomena lost her life after the Audi A3 she was driving was involved in a motorway collision in January 2013.
She had just dropped her husband Joseph at Lisbon Airport and was driving back home with Joao and his brother Pedro asleep on the backseat.
The two boys suffered minor injuries but their mum was killed instantly – and Cancelo asked City if he could take the shirt worn by Raheem Sterling when the England winger moved to Chelsea.
Cancelo explained: “Seven was my mum’s favourite number and it was the day she was born: February 7.
“I decided to pick that number because it is meaningful for me and for my mum. I hope I can represent her with this number as she is one of the most important people in my life.”
Cancelo almost gave up on becoming a footballer when his mother died.
He was gradually coaxed back to the game by his dad, but says a prayer to his mum every time he steps onto the pitch.
Cancelo, 28, moved from Benfica to Villareal before making the switch to Juventus. He joined City in 2019 in a deal that saw the Blues pay £27.4million and send Danilo to Juve in part-exchange.
The Portugal star has become one of Pep Guardiola’s most creative players, fitting in at left-back despite being naturally right-footed, but granted the freedom to move into midfield.
Cancelo said: “I always try to adapt to every position the manager puts me in and give my best for the team.
“With the number of quality players we have in our squad, it makes it easier to adapt to any position on the pitch.
“It depends on the game. Some games he (Guardiola) asks me to play more inside, other games more outside. It depends on how the opponents press.
“After my initial six months, I think I have had a very good performance in the team. That is down to my dedication, but also thanks to the manager and my team-mates, who believed in me. “With the number of talented players we have in our squad, it’s easier to show your best football.”
City have started their defence of the title with successive wins and today face Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Cancelo believes the champions found the right response after losing 3-1 to Liverpool in the Community Shield.
Cancelo said: “One of the best things about this team is that we always react well after a defeat.
“You see a winner not only when you win, but also when you lose. He (Guardiola) is a key factor, he gives us the coordinates and we follow him. We believe in the way he sees football.
“Expectations are always high for this team because of the quality we have.
“We want to win all the trophies we play for. We know the Premier League is always a difficult competition to win – but we are going to try to win it again.”