In an emotional clip, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro broke down in tears while facetiming his mother and his grandfather as he spoke about the hardships that he had to go through to become a professional footballer.
The Tottenham Hotspur right-back was involved in a feature for the Premier League’s official channel, which detailed his journey from his humble beginnings back in Spain to the biggest league in world football.
In the video, the 25-year-old explains that he was raised by his grandparents in Don Benito since his parents had to work, but he had to make a huge sacrifice when he turned 14 in order to fulfil his dream as a footballer.
He had to leave the small town he grew up in to move to Madrid, where he joined Rayo Vallecano’s academy.
Video: Pedro Porro breaks down in tears while narrating his journey
The Tottenham man says in the video about his decision to leave him when he was just 14: “I left when I was very young. But I remember it was one of the toughest moments of my life.
“I had to leave my family and everything behind. I was very young and still needed their support. If you want something in life, you have to sacrifice something in return.”
Porro’s grandfather added: “We took him to Madrid. It’s so hard to leave a boy of 14 years old in Madrid. We left a 14-year-old, alone in Madrid.”
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That is when the full-back broke down in tears and his grandfather quipped: “You’re crying, and you never cry. A man like yourself, with a handsome face like that!”
After the call, the Tottenham right-back explained how much his family meant to him and vowed that he would deliver a lot more which would make them proud.
He added: “Thanks to you, I am who I am today. This doesn’t end here. Just as my grandfather said in the video, he always wants more and he will have more.”
Supporters – Tottenham’s included – are sometimes guilty of treating footballers as characters from a TV show, forgetting that they too are humans who deal with many of the same challenges as us in their personal lives.
This interview from Porro is a reminder that most of these footballers are young men who come from humble backgrounds. It is a great initiative by the Premier League to shed light on the journeys of the players as it really humanises them in a progressive way.