Fulham’s João Palhinha has caught the Premier League by surprise ever since he signed with the Cottagers last season. Marco Silva struck gold and found a reliable cornerstone for his backline in the form of a budding 28-year-old defencive specialist from Portugal.
Admired and well-loved by Fulham fans, the former journeyman has become a staple and a hot commodity in the toughest and most competitive top flight in the football world.
So, it seems only fitting that, courtesy of SBOTOP, we look back on Palhinha’s determined journey from a Liga Portugal 2 substitute to a Premier League star.
Palhinha’s journey to Craven Cottage
Like most promising footballers, Palhinha started his playing career when he was just a teenager. At the young age of 17, the budding Portuguese joined Sporting CP’s youth academy in 2012.
He debuted as a professional as a substitute for Sporting’s B team in a 3-2 home win against Portimonense in 2014.
Palhinha’s route to the big leagues wasn’t as smooth as that of other starlets, as he jumped from club to club as a loanee before he emerged as one of the best young talents in football.
In 2015, he was loaned to Moreirense and Belenenses, making Liga Portugal his home until 2017. He made his debut in the Portuguese top flight as a substitute during a 0-2 home loss to Arouca. Palhinha made 29 appearances for Moreirense before departing for Belenenses for another stint as a loanee.
There, he netted his first top-flight goal in a 1-1 draw against Vitória de Guimarães. After 13 appearances for O Belém, he went back to where it all started and made his first team debut for Sporting CP in January 2017.
It was not until October that he scored his first goal for Sporting. But the wait was definitely worth it, as he produced a brace against Oleiros that secured their win with a 4-2 score line.
Palhinha spent the next two seasons on loan, but this time it was with S.C. Braga. There, he managed to carve his way to relevance and became one of the pivotal pieces for the outfit, making 76 appearances and a third-place finish in 2019-20 to boot.
With his emergence with Braga, Palhinha’s name has caught the attention of clubs like Al Nassr and CSKA Moscow, both formidable clubs in their domestic leagues and both aspiring to acquire Palhinha’s services.
Amidst the interests of other top-flight outfits, the defensive midfielder ultimately spent the term with Sporting, where he made 32 appearances and was named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year alongside some of his comrades.
In the 2021–22 season, Palhinha remained sturdy with Sporting, appearing in 95 contests, but he began to face friction in the Lions lineup due to the signing of Uruguayan international Manuel Ugarte.
He took the league by storm
After years of being a journeyman, the budding midfielder has found his way to the most competitive top flight in the football world. On July 20, 2022, Palhinha agreed to a five-year spell with the mighty Cottagers for £20 million.
“I’m very glad to be here. It’s a big opportunity for me, for my career, to play in what is – in my opinion – the best league in the world.” Palhinha exclaimed.
“I’ve signed with a great Club. The Club wanted me, and I chose the Club, so I promise the fans that I will do my best, and I hope we can win so many things in this season.”
In his maiden season with Fulham, Palhinha made 35 Premier League appearances and scored three goals. But it wasn’t his offencive prowess that made him the talk of the town. The talented midfielder made a living with his stellar defencive capabilities and his sharp football IQ.
The Portuguese stunned Premier League rivals with his impeccable timing, precise positioning, and mastery of tackling.
Getting the ball from a defencive stop is one thing, but converting it into an offencive opportunity is a skill only a few possess. In the 2022–23 season, Palhinha topped the Premier League with his next possession xG after tackles.
Palhinha is a novel concept for the game, but it is undeniable that Palhinha is the crème of the crop when it comes to creating by tackling.
He led all players in the Premier League in tackles with a total tally of 147, and his meteoric rise as a pivotal player for Fulham helped Marco Silva’s newly promoted outfit to a respectable 10th-place finish.
His brilliance in the Premier League wasn’t left unnoticed, as the German League champions Bayern Munich showed determination in acquiring the defensive midfielder.
During the summer transfer, Palhinha was poised to sign with the Bavarians with a transfer worth €65 million. The 28-year-old already had his medical tests in Germany, but the deal never transpired due to Fulham’s inability to find a replacement before the transfer window closed.
He’s now a Craven Cottage favourite
Fulham’s Pit bull is striving with the Cottagers, making 19 appearances while netting two goals and dishing out one assist in the Premier League campaign thus far. His attraction to other top-flight contenders has not simmered down, as he headlined the Premier League 2024 news stories during the winter transfer window.
At 28 years of age, Palhinha is still in his prime and will be a critical part of Marco Silva’s roster as long as he remains a Cottager.
After a tepid start to the 2023-24 season, Fulham are still capable of pulling off a tail-end resurgence, and a back-to-back win against struggling Burnley and Bournemouth could bend the Premier League 2024 odds in their favour.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
