Rafael Camacho has revealed that he did not hesitate to quit Liverpool and join Sporting CP in the summer once he was made aware of the Lisbon club’s interest in signing him.
Camacho, 19, returned to Portugal in a deal worth an initial £5million in July after he was reported to have rejected the chance to sign a new contract at Anfield [Guardian].
AC Milan, Wolves and Schalke were also reported to have held an interest in the attacking midfielder but Camacho eventually opted for a move to Sporting – and that is something that the Portugal Under-20 international could not turn down.
“It was good to be at Liverpool. It was a spectacle to win the Champions, it didn’t even look real. Winning at 18 was a dream. I always wanted to be part of the team and it was very good. I learned a lot from them. I am always learning from their experience,” he told Radio Renascença.
When asked about his summer exit from Anfield, Camacho added: “I always had the dream of coming to Alvalade and playing for the first team. I was very happy. When I was given the opportunity to come back, I didn’t even think twice.”
OPINION
Liverpool had no choice but to sell Camacho. The 19-year-old was well down the pecking order and had only made two first-team appearances plus there was his refusal to sign a contract extension. If the Reds had not sold him in the summer just gone then they would have run the risk of losing him for nothing, so a deal with Sporting CP was struck and that was the end of that. Hopefully Camacho does not come back to haunt Liverpool in any kind of way because he is a good young player with great potential. Since joining Sporting, he has made five first-team appearances with two of those coming in the Europa League group stages when he has played against PSV and Rosenborg. He would no doubt like to play a little bit more than he is doing but he would not be getting regular game-time if he stayed at Liverpool. You cannot blame him for wanting to leave for more first-team opportunities when he is going to celebrate his 20th birthday next May.
