Bournemouth defender António Silva spoke to Transfermarkt about his reasons for joining Bournemouth, his experience adapting to the Premier League, his feelings about missing Portugal's squad, and his experience training and playing alongside Ronaldo.

On Choosing Bournemouth

Silva said: "I think Bournemouth has a very good development plan. Before I joined, Tiago Pinto, the club's director of football operations, told me about this plan. I also thought head coach Marco Rose was a great fit because he likes developing young players. If you look at Bournemouth's transfers over the past few years, the way the team plays, and how they've sold players, you can see they've done it very well. So for me, choosing Bournemouth wasn't difficult."

In recent years, several young defenders have developed at Bournemouth before joining top clubs for significant transfer fees. Huijsen joined Real Madrid for €62.5 million, Zabarnyi moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €63 million, and Kerkez joined Liverpool for €46.9 million.

When Asked if These Players' Development Trajectory Served as a Reference

Silva said: "Honestly, no. I played for Benfica for several years, and Benfica is also a club that can help players move to bigger clubs. So I was simply looking for a good development plan. Pinto played a major role in that. What happens in the future, we'll see later. I hope to do my best this year and then see what happens."

For young players, moving to another country, especially far from home, is not easy.

On Adapting to the New Environment

Silva said: "For me, Lisbon is my home, so living abroad is indeed difficult. But I came here to play in the Premier League, and I will give everything to play in this league. The people at Bournemouth have been very kind to me; they welcomed me very warmly. Now I'm quite settled in the city, and I just want to perform well."

Although the Primeira Liga ranks among the top ten European leagues, there are clear differences with the Premier League.

On the Biggest Difference Between the Two Leagues

Silva said: "I think the difference ultimately comes down to the intensity and physicality of the game. It feels like we're playing the Champions League every weekend! I think this is what makes the Premier League so appealing. I also hope to show my abilities here. I think I've been doing well, but I prefer the team to succeed. I think we should have achieved better results by now, but we need to prove it on the pitch."

On the Team Conceding Repeatedly in Late Minutes

Silva said: "I think the problem lies with us; we've made some mistakes. That's part of football, but every mistake we make gets punished. So ultimately, it's our own problem, and there's also a bit of bad luck involved. We need to fix this issue. I think if we can resolve it, we could climb higher in the league standings. That's our goal."

Despite being only 22 years old, Silva has made 20 appearances for Portugal. However, despite his strong start to the Premier League season, he was not included in the latest squad selected by Jorge Jesus for the UEFA Nations League matches.

On Missing Out on Portugal's Squad

Silva said: "Of course, I hoped to be selected, but this time I wasn't. It's a difficult feeling because I've worked hard at Bournemouth. I know that as long as I perform well and play well here, I'll have a better chance of being called up to the national team. I'm hopeful for the next training camp. I'll try my best here and then see what happens."

On Ronaldo

Silva said: "It's been a pleasure being around him. I didn't participate in the last training camp, but training with him at the one before was fantastic. I grew up watching him play at Real Madrid, and then being able to train with him every day was an incredible experience. For me, he is the greatest of all time. He is one of the most influential people in the world, and for Portugal, he is also a crucial figure. I'm very grateful to have had the chance to play and train alongside him."

After joining Bournemouth, Silva quickly faced serious challenges, having already faced several of the world's top strikers early in the season. When asked about the most difficult striker he has faced so far, he answered without hesitation.

Silva said: "Haaland. I hadn't played against him before. My first match for Bournemouth was against Manchester City, and that was the first time I faced him. He is very strong, very fast, and has a remarkably sharp goal-scoring instinct. It was a great experience competing against him. This is also why I came here—to face the best strikers in the world."

Meanwhile, another player who could become a star in the future has emerged at Vitality Stadium. Midfielder Alex Scott performed very well early in the season, but unfortunately suffered an injury recently while playing for England.

On Scott

Silva's eyes lit up with enthusiasm as he said: "His technical ability is outstanding. I knew beforehand that he is a very good player. I've worked with some great midfielders at Benfica, like João Neves and Enzo Fernández, and I think he can certainly be compared to them. He can attack, defend, win duels, and also provide assists, so he is a very well-rounded player. It's a pleasure to play alongside him at Bournemouth."

On the Team's European Competition Ambitions

Silva said: "We had a very good start. Now there are seven games left in the league phase, and we hope to be in the top eight, and then we'll see. I think we have the ability to reach the semi-finals, even the final, but we need to be realistic and take it one step at a time. I'm trying to share this experience with everyone. I'm only 22 years old, but I've already played many matches, including Champions League football, and I had one season in the Europa League. So I'm trying to help the team. We play in the Premier League like it's the Champions League, and then we have to play in the Europa League during the week. However, I think we're managing it well. The first match went well, and we'll try to win again against Sturm Graz.

I was captain in some matches at Benfica. I remember that in my second year at Benfica, Schmidt appointed me as third captain, so I'm used to taking on leadership responsibilities and being captain. I'm trying to bring this to Bournemouth. On the pitch, I like to communicate with my teammates, and I always try to do it in a positive way, which feels good. I think I'm well-suited to be captain and a leader."

At the end of the interview, Silva also answered a series of questions about his teammates, selecting players with specific strengths from those he has worked with. Given the number of stars he mentioned, it's easy to forget that he is actually only 22 years old.

Who Has the Best First Touch?

Silva said: "Rafa Silva from Benfica. He has great speed and is excellent in all aspects. He is a very good player and one of the best I've worked with."

Who Has the Best Right Foot Technique?

Silva said: "Ronaldo, yes, definitely him."

Who Has the Best Left Foot Technique?

Silva said: "Ángel Di María."

Who Has the Best Aerial Ability, Meaning Headers?

Silva said: "Otamendi."

Who Has the Highest Football IQ?

Silva said: "I think that's Bruno Fernandes."

Who Has the Best Movement and Positioning?

Silva said: "That's a difficult choice. I'd pick João Neves."

Who Is the Best Defender?

Silva said: "Rúben Dias."

Who Is the Most Difficult Player to Face?

Silva said: "That's a difficult choice. I'd pick Leão, because he's very quick."

Who Has the Worst Fashion Sense?

Silva said: "A friend of mine, who now plays in Turkey, is Tiago Gouveia. He played with me at Benfica for several years. It's definitely him, by far."

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