"The group continues to be excellent and that, of course, helps in many aspects. Arsenal has been growing year after year. There is that connection with the fans, which might be closer than ever before, and that sometimes makes a difference. Playing for a big club in England, a club like Arsenal, is fascinating, it's an incredible feeling. Wherever you go in the world, there are Arsenal fans, it's an unbelievable thing," he said during an exclusive conversation with Pedro Pinto in the 11th episode of the 1 PARA 1 Podcast.
Despite coming up just short of a much awaited Premier League title, Cdric had a lot of praise for some of Arsenal's main protagonists of the last campaign. When asked about the player who had impressed him the most, the Portuguese wasn't able to answer with just one name.
Bukayo (Saka), without a doubt. I've watched Bukayo grow. But I'd also like to highlight Martinelli. I saw his growth because in the past there were many games where he was unhappy about not playing, and I saw him grow, becoming almost a regular starter, with a lot of quality, not just good at one thing but very complete. Gabriel Magalhes, tactically, has also evolved a lot. Gabriel Jesus, surprised me when he arrived. I trained with him, and I thought, 'Wow! This guy is very complete. He'll help us a lot'. He's not a player tied to statistics, but he gives a lot to the team. There are many players to highlight. Martin degaard, without a doubt, has evolved, becoming a more consistent player, and more capable," he stated.
After 167 games and almost a decade of Premier League, Cdric believes that no other league matches the standard of competition he has experienced during his time in England.
I think it's the most competitive league I've participated in. It's a league where, at any moment, a smaller team can beat a big team. I think that's what makes the Premier League so special," he expressed.
That same competitiveness brought the right-back many battles on the wing over the years, and Cdric revealed which two players gave him the most headaches.
San and Hazard, but San was that player that Man, I didn't like playing against him, and he knows, we talked about it after a game recently. I studied him quite well, and I had very good games against him, but I also had bad games where he got the better of me. Then you had Hazard who, in his prime years, had phenomenal quality and made great decisions," he said.
Constantly analysing and studying the game of football, Cdric had time to share that he uses Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva as examples to get the best out of his teammates.
Cristiano is a very complete player. One-on-one, he's very good, he can dribble, and almost always shoots on target. You really need a lot, a lot of quality for that. I often talk to my teammates and say, 'Study Cristiano. When attacking the box, he's the best player you can watch'. His timings are fantastic. He has that. How does Bernardo Silva, with his physique, make the difference he makes in the Premier League? Because he adapts his characteristics very well to the game. He thinks ahead of others, at all times. I often say this to Fbio (Vieira) because they're players I think are similar, similar quality, both left-footed," Cdric explained.
Portugal, next to England, is viewed by many as one of the favourites to win this summer's EURO 2024. Cdric recognizes the sheer quality of his country's side, but attributes an underdog label to the Portuguese side, something that could help them along the way.
Portugal, at the moment, in terms of individual squad, I'd say we probably have one of the best individual squads. And we have an advantage in that we're a bit underrated. People aren't expecting us. We have a bit less hype around us, and I like that. That's how we went on to win Euro 2016. I believe Portugal can have a very good Euro," stated the Portugal international.
At 32 years-old, Cdric Soares has said his goodbyes to the North London club, and now looks towards the next steps in his career, with the one certainty that he wants to continue doing the thing his loves most.
Right now, I'm very focused on my career. I want to keep playing for many more years. My goal now is to find the right team where I can continue to be competitive, be on the field, and do what I love most. Now, it's about getting together with the family, my agent, analyzing what will be on the table for the next season. Everything is a bit up in the air. I don't have any certainties yet, but I will analyze, understand where the best solution for me to continue my career is. That's what I'm going to focus on," he added.
- The 1 PARA 1 podcast, presented by Pedro Pinto and powered by Betway, is available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. More episodes with great Portuguese sporting personalities will be published soon.