The pair won Best Goalkeeper, Best Defender and Best Goal, respectively

Antonio Adán and Pedro Porro were winners of individual honours in January, and the pair received their trophies this Thursday at the Academia Sporting.

For the second consecutive month, Adán scooped the Best Goalkeeper award in Liga NOS, whilst Porro was chosen as Best Defender for the third time in a row and was also the scorer of the Best Goal in league competition.

Adán participated in four league matches in January and conceded just one goal, making him the logical choice for his award. He collected 27% of the votes in the poll of Liga NOS coaches.

"I am grateful to all the coaches who voted for me to win the award again. It is even further motivation for what lies ahead but, as I always say, this prize is down to the good work done by everyone, so I hope that the entire team continue to receive these awards," he said at the club's training ground.

Porro, who has shone at right back this season, explained what was going through his mind when he scored his wonder goal against Boavista at the  Estádio do Bessa on Matchday 15.

"Sometimes you just have to shoot, because you never know what might happen. In the moment, my only thought was to take the shot, and luckily it went in," he said of the goal that was voted for by fans as the best of the month.

In addition, the Spanish Under-21 international also received 31% of the votes from Liga NOS coaches in the Best Defender category.

Pair named as Liga NOS' Best Goalkeeper and Best Defender for December

Chosen as December's Best Goalkeeper and Best Defender, respectively, in Liga NOS, Sporting CP's Antonio Adán and Pedro Porro were presented with their awards after training this Saturday.
 
Speaking to the club's official media channel, Adán expressed his gratitude for the recognition, but also emphasised that the team's defensive success is down to teamwork. "I'm very pleased with the votes that I got from the other coaches in the league, choosing me as December's Best Goalkeeper," he said.
 
"This means that the collective work by the whole team has been good. That's why the individual awards come, and it motivates us to continue in this way", added the Spaniard.
 
Compatriot Porro echoed the shot-stopper's statements, commenting that "it is a source of pride to win this award for the second consecutive month". "You can use it to infer that we are doing our job well, both collectively and individually. The team have been one of the best in the league, and we will continue this way so that the results are positive."

The goalkeeper reflect on his opening months at Sporting CP

Sporting CP's starting goalkeeper in the first four official matches played this season, Antonio Adán has been the most frequently featured of the club's summer signings to date. The Spaniard talked to Sporting CP Media during the international break, giving the lowdown on how things are going since his arrival.

Integrating into the group
"The group have made me very welcome from the start. I was told that this was a young and pleasant group for players. I think that both I and the new players have integrated very well. Due to the circumstances we have had to spend a lot of time together, first in preseason and then because of the COVID-19 isolation. That actually made my integration easier."

The combination of youth and experience
"I believe that the combination of youth with experience is what makes the group a good one. The older players bring experience and the younger players the daring of those who are starting out -in addition to the quality of Sporting CP's academy system. We are creating a strong group, which means good expectations. When I was in other countries I saw that there were always many Portuguese players being signed by other teams. Now that I'm here, I realise that the quality is very high. We have some very good young players that I am sure will reach the highest level."

Internal competition
"The more competition there is within the squad, the better it is for everyone on an individual, collective and club level. It makes everyone evolve and ensures that everyone is at full strength. It allows the team to grow."

The game against Porto
"Both I and the rest of the group have prepared for this game just like we prepared for all the previous games. In the end, it's three more points at stake. Of course, for Sportinguistas this is more important than that, as it is one of Liga NOS' biggest matches. Obviously, after having played in other big games in Spain, I also want to do it in Portugal. However, I think that we are preparing in the same way that we prepared for the previous two games. It's the path we have to follow until the end of the season, preparing each game as if it were a final."

"I understand that for fans there is an added importance in it being a chance to beat a direct rival, but for us it's just three more points. I understand everything that surrounds the game: When we walk down the street, the fans stop us to talk about it, but we have to be calm and remember that it's just another three points."

A possible return for fans
"It is difficult for us, not having them here. Especially for this club, the fans are very important for those of us on the pitch. What I have been told is that they help a lot, and that is very important to us. Fortunately, in specific games, such as Portugal vs. Spain, we have already seen some fans in the stands. On the previous matchdays in the league there were fans in the game between CD Santa Clara and Gil Vicente FC, and that gives us hope that, soon, we will have our fans in the stadium. I hope it will be as soon as possible, because we need them and I personally want to see what the stadium is like with people in the stands. Football is for fans. Football without spectators is missing something."

Rúben Amorim's coaching methods
"I spoke to the coach before coming here, and his ideas transmitted a lot of personality and a way of playing that fits my ideas, because I played like that at Real Betis Balompié. He likes his teams to show personality on the pitch, and I think this is ideal for a club like Sporting CP, who have to dominate the game and go after the three points."

Specific goalkeeping training
"I'm delighted to be working with Tiago Ferreira and Jorge Vital, the club's goalkeeping coaches. At the beginning I was more tired; I was coming from Atletico Madrid, where there were a lot of matches and the training was not that intense. I'm really enjoying it. Vital has many years of experience, and Tiago compliments him in a brilliant way. We have done a great job over the past few weeks."
 
"I have always kept in mind that hard work is the most important thing. Having the opportunity to do specific goalkeeping work for so many days during the week is essential for me. Our position is based on confidence, and being able to work for so much time with two people who are so well prepared makes me much more confident going into a game."

Sporting CP's new goalkeeper speaks at preseason training camp in the Algarve

Antonio Adán was signed by Sporting Clube de Portugal last week, but had only the briefest of introductions to the Academia Sporting training ground before being whisked away to the Algarve for the club's preseason training camp. There, he has been acquainting himself with his new teammates and looking forward to the challenge ahead.

"I'm happy and very excited. I was looking forward to coming here," said the goalkeeper, who has also had a turn on the microphone during the team's downtime in Lagos.

"My initiation task was to sing at dinner yesterday," he revealed, laughing. "It's part of being accepted into the group, and I was very happy to provide my teammates with that fun moment. That's what this group are like: It's a really good group of people, with a strong bond and a lot of desire to start the season."

With the more serious business of the Primeira Liga season just around the corner, the squad are in for a demanding few weeks of training.

"The work has been hard, but that's normal in preseason. Every component of the squad is working with a lot of intensity, with plenty of ball work and plenty of fitness work. We have to create a strong group for what is coming up: It will be a hard season, and I believe that the entire team are focused for it."

"The mentality for a club as big as Sporting CP to always be at the top. That's the mentality of the coach and the club, and the way we want to approach this season. We want to face it with ambition and enthusiasm."

Adán is also looking forward to a battle for his place in the starting XI at his new club, saying that "My teammates and I are ready for whatever the coach decides. We all want to play, and I think that it is good for the group to have this competitiveness in every position. I hope the coach picks me to contribute, but if he doesn't then I have to keep working to help the team."

The experienced goalkeeper arrives to provide competition between the sticks

Former Real Madrid, Cagliari, Real Betis and Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Antonio Adán has become the latest player to join the Sporting CP project, signing a two-year deal with the option for a further year.

Adán was unveiled on Thursday after passing a medical and signing his contract in Lisbon.

"I feel very happy. After finishing the Champions League with Atletico Madrid, I was looking forward to joining this club - which has so much history in Portugal," said the new arrival.

"I am aware of the amount of trophies that the club have won, plus the effort, dedication and enthusiasm that is present here. I believe that I have come here to contribute to that."

Adán was recently present at the Estádio José Alvalade as with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, and had high praise for the ground.

"It's a spectacular stadium. It's a pity that there will be no fans there for the moment, but I am looking forward to having them there with us. It is sure to look even more beautiful then, than it did last week."

Amongst the Sporting CP squad are some familiar faces from the goalkeeper's time in Spain, including some other new signings.

"Feddal, Pedro Porro and Vitorino Antunes are players who come here from the Spanish league, and we know each other already. That's going to help with our adaptation. Everybody has spoken highly of the group. It's a young squad, but a good one, and I believe that adapting to that and to the city will go very well," explained the Spaniard, who will compete with the other goalkeepers for his place in the starting XI.

"It's good for me, for the team and for the club. The more competition in each position, the more the team grows -and the closer we will get to our objectives. We're teammates, but everybody has the ambition to play," commented Adán, coming into his 16th year as a professional.

"I'm in the best moment of my career and I have tremendous maturity. I'm looking forward to playing and to contributing with my experience and the hard work that I've been doing."

Adán will join up with the team this week, in their first sessions back after the summer break.