Chelsea midfield sensation Andrey Santos hopes to return to his boyhood club Vasco da Gama later in his career.
Andrey Santos, who is slowly establishing himself as an integral part of Chelsea’s squad under Enzo Maresca, once again expressed his affection for his childhood club, Vasco da Gama. The Brazilian international has suggested he would love to return to the club later in his career.
Andrey joined Vasco da Gama at the age of just six and was a part of their setup for around 12 years. He went up the ranks at some pace and got promoted to the first team at the start of 2022. On the back of an impressive year with the senior side, multiple top clubs from across Europe were after his signature.
But Chelsea managed to beat the competition and struck a deal with the Brazilian outfit at the start of 2023. They let him stay at Vasco da Gama for another six months before he made the move to Stamford Bridge in the following summer.
Andrey Santos on his childhood club
The Chelsea midfield prospect has been called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the ongoing international break, and during a press conference, he talked about his love for Vasco.
Andrey said via TNT Sports Brazil, “When it’s about Vasco, it touches my heart. I was very happy there. In 2022, I helped, together with my teammates, to bring Vasco back to the top flight. I still talk a lot with PH [a Vasco player]. I even joked with him about the Copa do Brasil because we really need that title. Vasco have a huge fan base and deserve it.”
While the 21-year-old is completely focused on doing his best for Chelsea and the Brazil national team, his heart clearly remains tied to Vasco da Gama. He is grateful to his childhood club for helping him develop into the footballer he is.
A potential return to Vasco in the future
When asked about a potential return to Vasco, Andrey added, “It’s difficult to talk about my return, I don’t like to create expectations. But of course I’m very grateful to Vasco. It’s my club, the one that raised me as a person and as a player. One day, yes, I think about coming back to bring even more happiness to the fans.”
While the promising midfielder did not want to make any promises, he certainly seems keen on returning to his childhood club later on in his career. Following an impressive loan spell at RC Strasbourg last season, the 21-year-old has finally found a place in Maresca’s squad.
The Italian has handed him opportunities in the ongoing campaign, and Andrey has responded with some impressive performances. He has racked up 520 minutes across his 13 matches and has even contributed towards four goals.
