Nélson Oliveira was once one of the greatest young promises of Portuguese football. Reaching the final of the U20 World Cup in 2011, Oliveira had it all in front of him.
Portuguese newspaper Record have spoken to the Norwich City player to get his opinion on the latest team currently at the same tournament, and Oliveira believes they can make the country proud if they work as a group.
For the young players, Oliveira believes it’s a ‘showcase which can open the doors to the main team’, but that didn’t happen in the way the now 25 year old hoped it would for him.
Then owned by Benfica, the club sent Oliveira on six loans, always chasing a big transfer fee, and with little thought about the player’s progression. Last season, those hopes ended for Benfica, and Norwich snapped the player up, and it’s been a good step believes Oliveira.
“After returning, I hoped that my career had improved. I had successive loans that did not help when I needed stability. Now I have found this stability and I am good, to evolve.”
Oliveira has scored 13 goals in his first Norwich City season, which isn’t a bad total. He’ll be hoping for more next time around, and a push for promotion with the Canaries.