Highly-rated Leicester City youngster Sidnei Tavares feels he has the “trust” of Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers.
The midfielder discussed playing under Rodgers, who he called one of the world’s best coaches, in a wide-ranging interview with Portuguese publication Record.
The Portuguese, who could figure when the Foxes U21s face Tranmere Rovers in the Papa John’s Trophy tonight, said: “I felt that he trusted me. Listening to praise from one of world’s best coaches is the most important thing we can hear and it gives me a lot of confidence.”
Tavares says he seeks advice from his more experienced Foxes teammates as he looks to develop his game.
“I spoke with Ricardo Pereira, with Youri Tielemans, who even plays in my position and advised me, and also with Hamza [Choudhury], who always told me to continue playing my way whenever the ball was controlled. And I started to feel comfortable.”
He has also confided in his cousin Nani, the former Manchester United winger, saying: “He gave me some tips, he knows the life of football and what it is to be a footballer. But we are different players.”
Tavares’s immense potential has seen him linked with Barcelona and Bayern Munich but the 19-year-old insists he isn’t being distracted by such talk.
He said: “It is the life of football, but the most important thing is to be focused on my football and what is actually happening. The rest comes by chance.
“I have always trusted myself and I’m ready for everything, I feel prepared for the next leap.”
(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Tavares was asked if he would consider returning to his native Portugal in the future.
“I don’t think about it yet, because I want to compete with the best,” he said.
Tavares added if he ever did return to his homeland, Porto would be his preferred destination.
“My family is all portista, so FC Porto would be the most likely,” he said.
