Family means everything to Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro and a heartwarming clip proved just as much.
The Premier League shared an eight-minute video detailing the Spaniard’s journey from his humble beginnings in western Spain to north London.
The tears flowed for Porro thanks to his mother and grandfather’s video message[/caption]
Because his parents had to work, Porro was raised by his grandparents in Don Benito.
He grew a love for the game while playing for local club C.A. Gimnastico.
But when Porro turned 14, he knew he would have to make an almighty sacrifice if he was to live out his dream of becoming a footballer.
He left his town of nearly 40,000 people and moved to Madrid, where he joined the academy at Rayo Vallecano in 2015.
“I left when I was very young,” Porro said in the video.
“But I remember it was one of the toughest moments of my life.”
Porro’s grandfather added: “We took him to Madrid. It’s so hard to leave a boy of 14 years old in Madrid. We left a 14-year-old, alone in Madrid.”
After they had dropped off Porro, his mother described the drive home as ‘terrible’.
However, Porro spoke of how his grandfather ‘encouraged me’ to take the bold step at such a young age.
“I had to leave my family and everything behind,” Porro said.
“I was very young and still needed their support. If you want something in life, you have to sacrifice something in return.”
Although Porro never went on to make a senior appearance for Rayo, he made his LaLiga debut for Girona in 2018.
A temporary switch to Valladolid followed before he joined Portuguese giants Sporting CP in 2020 on an initial two-season loan before the move became permanent in May 2022.
However, Porro was only halfway through the 2022/23 season when Tottenham came calling.
The north London side signed him on loan for the remainder of the campaign with an obligation to sign the Spaniard in the summer for £34million.
Porro has gone on to make almost 100 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions and has registered nine goals and 17 assists playing as a right-back or on the right wing.
It is a journey that may never have happened had Porro not taken the brave step of leaving home as a young teenager.
However, Porro’s mother and grandfather couldn’t be more proud of how his career has gone to date and told the Spanish international just as much in an emotional video.
Porro had to wipe away tears, but they came flooding straight back when he spoke to the pair over Facetime.
“You’re crying, and you never cry,” Porro’s grandfather said.
“A man like yourself, with a handsome face like that!”
After the call ended, Porro paid tribute to his family and vowed to deliver plenty more on the pitch going forward.
“Thanks to you, I am who I am today,” Porro said.
“This doesn’t end here. Just as my grandfather said in the video, he always wants more and he will have more.”
