Tomás Esteves Explained

Tomás Esteves
Full Name:Tomás do Lago Pontes Esteves
Birth Date:3 April 2002
Birth Place:Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal
Height:1.80 m
Position:Right-back
Currentclub:Pisa
Clubnumber:19
Youthyears1:2010–2011
Youthclubs1:ADECAS
Youthyears2:2011–2019
Youthclubs2:Porto
Years1:2019–2023
Clubs1:Porto B
Caps1:27
Goals1:0
Years2:2019–2023
Clubs2:Porto
Caps2:3
Goals2:0
Years3:2020–2021
Clubs3:Reading (loan)
Caps3:30
Goals3:1
Years4:2022–2023
Clubs4:Pisa (loan)
Caps4:23
Goals4:0
Years5:2023–
Clubs5:Pisa
Caps5:29
Goals5:1
Nationalyears1:2017
Nationalteam1:Portugal U15
Nationalcaps1:5
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2017–2018
Nationalteam2:Portugal U16
Nationalcaps2:12
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2018–2019
Nationalteam3:Portugal U17
Nationalcaps3:12
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2019
Nationalteam4:Portugal U19
Nationalcaps4:5
Nationalgoals4:0
Nationalyears5:2021
Nationalteam5:Portugal U20
Nationalcaps5:2
Nationalgoals5:0
Nationalyears6:2019–
Nationalteam6:Portugal U21
Nationalcaps6:4
Nationalgoals6:0
Pcupdate:10 June 2024
Nationalteam-Update:18:29, 20 November 2023 (UTC)

Tomás do Lago Pontes Esteves (born 3 April 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Pisa.

Club career

Esteves was born in Arcos de Valdevez, Viana do Castelo District. He was part of the FC Porto squad that won the 2018–19 UEFA Youth League, defeating Chelsea 3–1 in the final in Nyon, Switzerland.[1] With a contract lasting until 2021, he attracted interest from Manchester City who offered €10 million for his signature,[2] and rejected a transfer to FC Barcelona in August 2019.[3] [4] [5]

Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Esteves was given the number 2 shirt for the first team, inherited from the released Maxi Pereira.[6] He made his senior debut on 18 August 2019 for FC Porto B, starting and playing 80 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Varzim S.C. on the second week of the season.[7]

Esteves had his initial call-up to a first-team matchday squad for the Taça da Liga opening group match against C.D. Santa Clara on 25 September 2019, remaining unused in the 1–0 home win.[8] On 5 December he made his debut in the same competition, playing the last 15 minutes of a 3–0 win at Casa Pia A.C. in place of Wilson Manafá.[9] He made his Primeira Liga bow on 16 June 2020, playing the first hour of a goalless draw at bottom club C.D. Aves before being substituted for Moussa Marega.[10]

On 5 October 2020, Esteves was loaned to EFL Championship club Reading for the season.[11] He made his debut fifteen days later in a 1–0 home win over Wycombe Wanderers, as a 57th-minute substitute for Tom Holmes.[12] He scored his only goal for the Royals in a 2–2 draw with Swansea City on 25 April 2021.[13]

On 2 August 2022, Esteves joined Pisa S.C. in the Italian Serie B on loan with an option to buy and a conditional obligation to buy.[14] He made his debut 11 days later, starting as the season began with a 4–3 loss at A.S. Cittadella.[15]

On 3 August 2023, Pisa announced the permanent signing of Esteves on a three-year contract, acquiring 70% of the player's economic rights for a reported €1 million fee.[16] [17]

International career

Esteves first represented Portugal at under-15 level in April 2017. On 5 September 2019, he made his debut for the under-21 team, replacing Thierry Correia at half time in a 5–0 home win over Gibraltar in Alverca in a Euro 2021 qualifier. At 17 years, 5 months and 3 days he became the youngest player for the team in the 21st century, beating fellow Porto graduate Rúben Neves by 25 days.[18]

Personal life

Esteves' younger brother Gonçalo, also a defender, spent a decade at Porto before joining Sporting CP in 2021.[19]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Porto B2019–20LigaPro100100
2021–22Liga Portugal 2170170
Total270270
Porto2019–20Primeira Liga2000100030
Reading (loan)2020–21Championship2911000301
Pisa (loan)2022–23Serie B23000230
Career total811101000831

Honours

Porto Youth

2018–19[20]

Porto

2019–20

Notes and References

  1. News: UYL report: Porto 3 Chelsea 1 . 31 August 2019 . Chelsea F.C. . 29 April 2019.
  2. News: Tomás Esteves, jovem de 16 anos do FC Porto, impressionou o City . Tomás Esteves, 16-year-old Porto youngster, impressed City. 31 August 2019 . O Jogo . 16 March 2019 . Portuguese.
  3. News: Tomás Esteves disse 'não' ao Barcelona e continua no FC Porto. Tomás Esteves said 'no' to Barcelona and continues at FC Porto . 31 August 2019 . Notícias ao Minuto . 1 August 2019 . Portuguese.
  4. News: Tomás Esteves (Arcos de Valdevez) recusou proposta do Barcelona. Tomás Esteves (Arcos de Valdevez) rejected offer from Barcelona . 31 August 2019 . O Minho . 1 August 2019 . Portuguese.
  5. News: Tomás Esteves quer ser referência do FC Porto e recusou o Barcelona. Tomás Esteves wants to be regular at FC Porto and rejected Barcelona . 31 August 2019 . O Jogo . 1 August 2019 . Portuguese.
  6. News: Danilo capitão e numeração do plantel do FC Porto revelada. Danilo captain and FC Porto squad numbers revealed . 31 August 2019 . Diário de Notícias . 27 June 2019 . Portuguese.
  7. News: Aboubakar foi reforço de peso, mas FC Porto B continua sem vencer. Aboubakar was a big reinforcement, but FC Porto B continue without a win . 31 August 2019 . O Jogo . 18 August 2019 . Portuguese.
  8. News: Sérgio Conceição faz várias alterações no onze. Sérgio Conceição makes various changes to the starting eleven . 20 October 2019 . . 25 September 2019 . Portuguese.
  9. News: Tomás Esteves estreia-se pela equipa principal do FC Porto aos 17 anos. Tomás Esteves debuts for FC Porto's first team at age 17 . 10 June 2020 . Record . 5 December 2017 . Portuguese.
  10. News: Tomás Esteves teve noite de estreia pela equipa principal do FC Porto. Tomás Esteves had a debut night for the FC Porto first team. 17 June 2020 . Record . 16 June 2020 . Portuguese.
  11. News: Oficial: Tomás Esteves emprestado ao Reading. Official: Tomás Esteves loaned to Reading. 5 October 2020 . Record . 5 October 2020 . Portuguese.
  12. News: Joy . Matt . Reading FC player ratings from Wycombe win . 8 December 2020 . Reading Chronicle . 20 October 2020.
  13. News: Reading 2-2 Swansea. . 25 April 2021 . 26 April 2021.
  14. Web site: Pisa S.C.. Tomas Esteves è Nerazzurro!. Tomás Esteves is Nerazzurro!. 2 August 2022. 2 August 2022. it.
  15. News: Leo . Enrico . Serie B, Citadella [''sic''] da sballo alla prima, poker anche al Pisa]. Serie B, Cittadella thrilling in first game, score four goals also against Pisa. 22 September 2022 . Padova Oggi . 13 August 2022 . Italian.
  16. Web site: 3 August 2023 . Tomas Esteves ha firmato per il Pisa! . Tomas Esteves has signed for Pisa! . 4 August 2023 . pisasportingclub.com . it-IT.
  17. Web site: 3 August 2023 . Tomás Esteves apresentado em Itália . Tomás Esteves announced in Italy . 4 August 2023 . . pt-PT.
  18. News: Tomás Esteves faz história no futebol português.... e sucede a Rúben Neves. Tomás Esteves makes history in Portuguese football.... and succeeds Rúben Neves . 19 December 2019 . O Jogo . 6 September 2019 . Portuguese.
  19. News: Sporting oficializa Gonçalo Esteves, irmão do portista Tomás Esteves. Sporting confirm Gonçalo Esteves, brother of the Porto player Tomás Esteves. 11 January 2022 . Mais Futebol . 8 July 2021 . Portuguese.
  20. Web site: FC Porto é campeão Europeu Sub-19. FC Porto are European under-19 champions. Portuguese. 29 April 2019. Diário de Notícias. Almeida. Isaura. 6 September 2019.