Carvalho Will to wow with Portugal

William Carvalho is a cross between Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure. He is neither French nor Ivorian.

Growing up in what is now deemed to be one of the most expensive cities in the world, Luanda, Angola where people pay £32 for room service hamburgers, Carvalho has since shown a huge appetite to live up to those prestigious comparisons.

Having been linked to a number of Europe’s elite, the tenacious and combative midfielder reportedly has a £37.5m release clause in his contract at Sporting Lisbon.

Speaking recently, Carvalho said: “It’s nice being praised and to know there are some big clubs interested in me.

“It could be Manchester United or Real Madrid. It’s just nice to have a great European club after me, but at the moment I’m just totally focused on Sporting and doing my best until the end of the season.”

His season however, isn’t over. About to embark on a World Cup campaign with Portugal, he will be focused on securing a starting spot. Paulo Bento appears to be a stickler for inflexibility. Miguel Veloso has been preferred in the defensive anchorman position, though after Carvalho featured and impressed in Portugal’s World Cup play-off against Sweden, national boss Bento has a nice headache.

Also adept with the ball at his feet, he would compliment Joao Moutinho well in the centre of midfield, who has perhaps taken over as Deco as Portugal’s pass-master.

The Navigators, so-called courtesy of Christopher Columbus, are 5/2 to conquer Germany in their first group game, who are becoming more and more depleted daily.

Carvalho’s team seem strong where Die Mannschaft are weak. Should Bento stay with a three man midfield, they will offer better resistance than Germany who have a half-fit Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, and have lost Lars Bender due to injury.

A reliance on attack for Germany would play into Portugal’s hands, who are poised perfectly to counter-attack with panache. Carvalho rarely loses the ball, and at just 22, is capable of dealing with the interchanging of Arsenal pair Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski, being able to intelligently read the pattern of play.