Rio Ferdinand, a Manchester United icon turned commentator, has conceded that he was incorrect about Tottenham defender Pedro Porro.
He was initially critical of the defender, but has since changed his opinion and praised the Spaniard’s quality and confidence in the field.
Spurs grabbed Porro on the final day of the January transfer window last year, acquiring him on an initial loan from Sporting for £5 million. The agreement contained an obligation to purchase for £40 million in the coming summer.
The 24-year-old’s Tottenham debut ended in a 4-1 loss to Leicester City.
Several analysts, notably Tim Sherwood, harshly criticized him for his poor start at Spurs, saying he (Porro) was’so terrible it’s unbelievable.’
Porro, on the other hand, responded to on-field criticism and swiftly rose to become one of the club’s greatest players, establishing himself as the number one right-back.
Under Ange Postecoglou’s tutelage, Porro not only maintained his form from the previous season, but also dramatically improved defensively.
This season, he has emerged as one of Spurs’ top performers, with eight assists in 20 Premier League appearances—an impressive performance for a defender.
His critics have had to rethink their minds about him thanks to his excellent performances. Tim Sherwood just came up and publicly stated that he was mistaken about Porro. Rio Ferdinand has now become the latest to reconsider his position on the player.
He shared his ideas on his YouTube show Vibe with Five, saying:
“Udogie and Porro, how the manager has improved them. Porro, I canned him last year. How did they pay that much for him? He was terrible last year.
“A new manager steps in, sets him up, and he becomes a new player. It is surreal. Almost like a bargain. They are most likely the two best-performing fullbacks in the Premier League right now. Porro is dribbling like crazy under pressure.”
