Midfielder opens up about controversial Leicester – Had to look for ‘mental coach’

‘Adrien tells everything’ was the headline on the front page of Portuguese newspaper Record on Sunday.

The outlet managed to make a four-page interview with the Leicester City player, speaking of his past, present and future.

They opened the chat with the most controversial topic of his career, which is his transfer from Sporting to the Foxes in the summer of 2017.

Due to a delay of a few seconds in his registration, the midfielder couldn’t complete the move, and had to be sidelined for six months as he waited for the next transfer window. Still, he says he doesn’t regret it.

“No half words either: no. I’ll never regret the options I took. They always end up being beneficial, in one way or another. Now I always try to see the positive side of things, even when everything is… very negative [laughs]. It’s a job that I develop with a professional that I have been working with since that time, precisely so as not to fall into this error, in this hole that I would not be able to get out of.”

When asked if he’d do anything different, Record says Adrien first shook his head, then hit the table before responding.

“Zero. I cannot and do not want to change something that has already happened! I had a very well-defined goal in my career: playing in the Premier League. Regardless of everything that happened, I met that goal. I fulfilled my dream. I didn’t have the regularity that I would like to have, that without a doubt. But I managed to get there. That’s why I am at peace with that decision. What had to happen has happened. Especially because, looking back, not everything depended on me regarding timing.”

On his first reaction when finding out he couldn’t play for six months, he said: “Deep sadness. A dismay difficult to explain. A lot of people tried to help me, but it was complicated. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m only full on a pitch, playing. Wherever I am in the world. Only when playing do I feel happy and fulfilled. To feel that it was running away from me, that it was postponing my dream… They were very strong emotions and, fortunately, I was not alone in this battle.”

Adrien has also talked about his decision of seeking a mental coach to help him in such a hard time. Still, he says he never thought his sadness would impact on his comeback to a high level.

“No, because, the next day, I was already drawing up a specific training plan. I trained much more than the others, without days off, without anything. I waited two more months because we were still appealing to FIFA and that kept the flame going. I hoped there was some goodwill… I mean, not goodwill, sensitivity from FIFA regarding my situation.

“There it is. At that time, I felt that I needed extra help to continue my career.

“[It was] Very positive, very rich. Not only for difficult times. The mental coach helped me a lot at Leicester. Not only him, but also my wife and children, who are an inspiring force for everything in my life. Everything I did was for them. It will always be for them. But seeking the help of a professional was something very positive in my career and in my life. I feel prepared for all circumstances, whatever they may be. I now have tactics to overcome the most difficult moments, on or off the field.”

The midfielder didn’t speak to the media for two months, and had to listen to a lot of criticism from people at Sporting.

“And attention, I was silent by choice. It was never imposed.

“It was hard to swallow certain things they said about me. Some people fell for these lies, the things that were passed on. But I believe that the right people, who know me and who know what happened, these have never failed me. And that’s what matters to me. Public opinion is normal. It won’t always be a bed of roses.

“I was booed at Alvalade, at my house, at the season that Sporting did very bad. I have to understand that. These are normal things in a football player’s life. We cannot fall into negativity. Even because, when I went to say goodbye to the fans in Alvalade, I got a standing ovation. And that’s what I take from Sporting. The shouts of encouragement, the positive words, the good times. Deep down, smiles. These are the victories that make me marked.”

Asked if he’s spoken to former Lions president Bruno de Carvalho since the drama, Adrien says: “No. Never again.”