THERE have been many fairytales in football over the past year — with Leicester’s incredible Premier League victory undoubtedly the most significant.
But with five goals in his first four league games since arriving from Vitoria Guimaraes, Porto’s Francisco Soares is not far behind.
He has emerged as statistically the best January transfer signing in Europe, having moved to Portugal two and a half years ago at the age of 23 following spells with seven lower league sides in his native Brazil.
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After a slow start the 26-year-old is now enjoying a meteoric rise and could even land a first international cap following an injury to Gabriel Jesus.
Brazil scouts were in attendance to watch Soares — also known as Tiquinho — as well as Alex Sandro and Porto defenders Alex Talls and Felipe during the Champions League last-16 clash with Juventus.
While he failed to net in that clash, he immediately bounced back with the only goal of the game in the 1-0 win away at local rivals, Boavista.
Tiquinho has had to work hard to get his big break.
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After toiling among Brazil’s lower leagues, he joined Portuguese side CD Nacional in 2014.
Impressing, he joined Vitor Guiamaraes two years later, where nine goals in 22 games convinced Porto to give him his big chance.
And Tiquinho has taken it with both hands.
His debut came in one of the country’s biggest games, at home against Sporting Lisbon, where he netted two in a vital 2-1 victory.
And he followed that up with the opener in a 2-0 victory over former club, Vitoria Guimaraes.
Another in the following match against Tondela, followed by the winner against Boavista, means he has scored in every league game for Porto — and his stock has risen.
He has been compared to one of his predecessors, Hulk, but has been quick to play that down.
Loan spell after loan spell in Brazil’s lower leagues appeared to indicate his career was going nowhere.
But, at 26, he’s been given his big break.
If he keeps up this scoring form, Tiquinho might just be bringing the Primeira Liga title back to Porto for the first time in four years.
And this fairytale could go on and on.
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