🎥 Tomás Tavares joins the first team

Tomás Tavares, the 18-year-old right back, integrates immediately the squad of the Sport Lisboa e Benfica's first team, constituting Bruno Lage's bet for the current season 2019/20. Another academy graduate made in Caixa Futebol Campus…

“One of the things that people will have to understand is that we do not deviate from our strategy. We've always said that Seixal is our priority and our coach has already shown that he looks there first. We have Nuno Tavares and David Tavares, there's also the possibility of bringing Tomás Tavares”, claimed Luís Filipe Vieira, after the Super Cup.

In the last press conference from Bruno Lage, after the thrashing of Paços de Ferreira, the gaffer had already pointed the athlete as a new addition to the first team… “We have André Almeida, Ebuehi, João [Ferreira] and Tomás [Tavares], so, one of these four athletes will play", he said to the journalists.

Tomás Tavares has been wearing the Sacred Mantle for ten seasons, after joining Benfica at the age of nine (2010), coming from Fernando Chalana Soccer School. A long journey of overcoming and commitment... rising through all the ranks classes until joining, on Monday, the squad of the National Champion.

"I look at this contract renewal with huge responsibility, I wear a great crest on my chest. I always try to do my best for the Club, which is why I renewed my contract to continue my service to Benfica", explained the player in statements to BTV, when he renewed his contract, on May 30, 2019.

In the season 2018/19, he played in the B team (two matches in the Premier League International Cup, and was also called up for 6 matches in the 2^nd Division, but did not make his debut) and also for the Under-23 (19 matches, being the 3^rd most used player in the final phase of the Liga Revelação, with 810 minutes played). For the Under-19s, he carried out 12 matches: six in the Youth League and six in the National Championship.

When it comes to caps, he has a total of 35 (14 for the U-17, five for the U-18 and 16 for the U-19), and a total of 2548 minutes played.

He represented the U-19 National Team in the recent European Championship, in Armenia, where he was a starter in all the matches of the competition and became European vice-champion.

Text: Sónia Antunes

Pics: SL Benfica