The curious case of Adrien Silva at Leicester: Portuguese star has wowed staff in training and flown his personal trainer brother in but fans are still waiting after registration mix-up
- Leicester completed transfer of Adrien Silva 14 seconds after deadline passed
- Portugal star has been left in limbo, unable to play for Foxes until January
- Silva has wowed team-mates in training with his technical ability on the ballĀ
- His lack of action through no fault of his own saw him dropped from PortugalĀ
The only game Adrien Silva has played in a Leicester shirt so far came on the morning Craig Shakespeare was sacked.
A practice match featuring squad players against a Nottingham Forest Under-23 side was arranged primarily with Silva in mind.
Shakespeare watched from the sidelines at Leicesterās Belvoir Drive training ground, excited at the prospect of one day picking the Portugal international in a contest of consequence.
Adrien Silva has been training with Leicester but is unable to play until JanuaryĀ
The former Sporting Lisbon man was registered 14 seconds too late for the windowĀ
Silva was allowed to visit home in September but is now fully settled in EnglandĀ
Silva had seriously impressed his team-mates in training sessions by then and the 28-year-old would have been a regular starter had FIFA not rejected Leicesterās registration attempts.
āThe way he moves the ball shows his class,ā said a source. āIn technical terms he could be Leicesterās best player. He has real composure too.ā
Shakespeare was never afforded the opportunity to see how Silva might have fared in the Premier League however, summoned by director of sport Jon Rudkin that October 17 afternoon and dismissed from his post.
During his tenure Shakespeare was deeply frustrated at being unable to select Silva, while seeing Danny Drinkwater sold to Chelsea on deadline day. It seemed a suitable switch but FIFAās judgement that documents were uploaded 14 seconds late left Leicester a midfielder light and, crucially, short on central creativity.
Leicester, who argue the relevant information was submitted on time, contested FIFAās decision all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but were denied. Last week Silva received news his personal appeal for an expedited process was similarly unsuccessful.
Silva would provide the creative spark in midfield that Leicester have been missingĀ
So it will not be until January that Silva wears Leicesterās colours in a first-team game. Claude Puel will be the manager to hand him his debut.
Due to regulations Leicesterās New Yearās Day game against Huddersfield Town will come too soon ā in international transfers players cannot feature on the day they are registered ā so Silvaās first involvement will likely come in the FA Cup third round that following weekend.
In the meantime he is training fully with his Leicester team-mates, and doing extra work after sessions to keep his fitness as close to match-ready as possible. It is expected that more behind-closed-doors friendlies will be arranged to help further.
At first, as confusion over his registration reigned, his contact with the squad was minimal so his personal trainer brother Jeremy flew over from Portugal for company and to assist on fitness.Ā
The 28-year-old has been dealt a difficult situation through no fault of his ownĀ
The technique of Silva and his ability on the ball have impressed Leicester players so farĀ
It appeared Silva might be sent back to Sporting Lisbon and Leicester could not risk the insurance dilemma should he get injured.
As it became clear his Ā£22million transfer was complete ā the only issue being his registration ā Silvaās involvement increased. He was brought into the dressing room before and after games to get a sense of inclusion and now watches all the matches from either the stands or behind the dugout.
He was allowed to travel back to Portugal for a period in September to be with his pregnant wife and their children but now the family have found a house in Leicestershire in a sign Silva is putting down roots.
Mentally, it has been tough for Silva, ready and willing to play but unable to through no fault of his own.Ā
Silva shared this picture on his Instagram with his wife Margarida Neuparth
Leicester have attempted to make Silva a part of the team despite his lack of play time
The midfielder's exclusion this season has led to him being dropped from the Portugal team
Shakespeare and Puel have admitted the psychological struggle Silva has battled due to the length of his de facto suspension. It will be 20 weeks between his last game for Sporting and his prospective first for Leicester, a heavy penalty for no crime.
He has lost his place in the Portugal squad as a result, last called up for the World Cup qualifier against Hungary on September 3. Having started the Euro 2016 final though, coach Fernando Santos is ready to pick him once he returns to regular football.
Puel is anticipating that moment also. He knows how a player can return from a lengthy spell out to good effect. Hatem Ben Arfa was ineligible to play for Nice for the first six months of his spell due to having featured for Hull and Newcastle Under-21s earlier in the 2014-15 campaign.Ā
Silva will be looking to maintain a high level of fitness in order to play straight away
The experienced Portuguese has now settled and bought a house in Leicestershire
FIFA counted his sole appearance for Newcastle's development side as an official game and ruled he was unable to play for a third club in a season following his move in January 2015.
In 2015-16 Ben Arfa returned with brilliant impact, scoring 17 goals in 34 games. Puel hopes for similar immediacy from Silva.
āI had Ben Arfa at Nice, he was a player without possibility for six months,ā said Puel. āHe came back with a good level and did a fantastic season with Nice. He had intensity in training but also it requires character to keep this good mentality, this strong work.
āI want Adrien to come back with passion, with fight, and with desire. I hope he can keep a good level for January. He will be important for the team.ā
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