For Pedro Porro (Don Benito, 1999) everything has happened too quickly. At the age of 16 he left his family, his home, his town and the team in which he had played throughout his childhood to move to Juvenil C of Rayo Vallecano, 330 kilometers to the capital. A risky bet, but that went well. The trampoline worked and at 18 he debuted in the First with Girona, at 19 he signed for Manchester City, at 21 he won the League and the Cup in Portugal with Sporting, at 22 he debuted with the absolute of Spain and with 23, without stepping on the brake, he has been the protagonist of one of the great transfers of the winter market: he left Lisbon and signed for Tottenham in exchange for 45 million euros. In the middle of that storm, the Extremaduran right back sits with EL MUNDO in the sun of the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas, where this week he has tried to convince Luis de la Fuente that he has a place in the eleven.
It is his second experience with the national team. Did you expect it on this occasion? It's always good to come back here. And well, I knew the time could come and I had to be prepared. I had been with the U21 for a long time, last year they gave me the opportunity to debut and you always have that thorn there, that illusion when it comes time for the list. And now to learn, that I am young, to take the best of the experience, whether I play or not, and to try to help the team as much as possible. It's been a very busy first few months of the year, right? Signing for Tottenham, called up the national team... Yes... (Laughter.) You know that. How do you cope with the change of culture, language and pressure? They have paid 45 million for you. Well, it is true that at the beginning, especially the first two weeks, it was a bit hard, but now more adapted. I try not to focus on the pressure or what they can talk about and focus on my own thing, on doing my best. The rest comes by itself. You have tried Portuguese, Spanish, English football... What differences do you notice? Which one are you most comfortable in? It has been a big change, I will not say very big because I already played European competition with Sporting de Portugal, but you can see the rhythm especially. That's where I've noticed the change from Portuguese football to English football, for example, but hey, they are different styles, also Spanish. And I feel more comfortable in the one who plays (laughs). Where you feel confident, which is the most important thing.What are your first memories? Stuck to a ball. All day. I was interested in football since I was a child and I was always with the ball, and today too. When I go home on days off I end up playing with the little ones in the family, I don't book. It's always been my day-to-day. And street football, not school football. I'm a street footballer. He debuted in Primera with 18 years. His process to reach the elite has been very fast. How have you lived it? When I was 15 years old, I left the village and went to the Rayo quarry. It was a difficult stage, because I left home very young, but then Girona, Manchester City, Valladolid, Sporting... If I tell you the truth, I haven't even had time to think. I went to Rayo to try because I really liked football, the opportunity arose and I promise you that when I realized it I was in professional football. When I debuted in Girona I didn't believe it, it seemed like yesterday when I started, but that's it, when the opportunity comes to you you have to be prepared. That's the hardest thing. Being so small and having that pressure... You have to be prepared, know how to be, concentrate on the games... If you're not, you won't get anywhere. If you are thinking about what can happen or what they will say, bad.How is it to return to the town as a Premier League and international player? I'm going as one more. Whenever I go I try to be at home with the family. And then if I go out, I go to the park with my friends, because if they stop me or anything I try to be as humble as possible. And in the center of the town the same, I do not say "I will not be stopped or they will know me". I'm a normal guy. It is true that sometimes I am in a hurry more than others, but I try to be humble. In my head I don't think I'm professional or international, I keep my friends there, I go to see the family... That doesn't change. What about life away from home? I'm used to it. Obviously when I have a day off I try to escape because I don't eat at home anywhere, but I'm used to it. It's hard, though. The first two years were hard, butRo then I have always tried to take my parents with me to make it less hard for me. They were in London for the first month and now they have returned to the village. From Portugal and now England, what do you think of Spanish football? I see it a lot, I've always liked LaLiga. And at the level of national teams we are one of the best in the world. When we go to play somewhere the reaction is... "Spain, huh." We have that respect and we like it, but then we have to show it on the field. I remember that in my first days at Tottenham some teammates said "From Spain? Tiki-taka, tiki-taka." It's the most obvious, but it's like that, in our football you arrive a second late and that's it, "tiki-taka" (laughs). I dream of winning a World Cup and hopefully it can be in 2026.
According to The Trust Project criteria
Learn more
- Spain national football team