PORTUGAL INTERNATIONAL ADRIEN Silva is finally free to play for Leicester City – four months after agreeing to join the club from Sporting CP for a reported £22 million (€25 million) fee.
Silva, 28, looked set to join the Foxes on deadline day last summer as a replacement for Chelsea-bound Danny Drinkwater, but the paperwork from his transfer arrived 14 seconds late.
As a result, world football’s governing body Fifa rejected Leicester’s appeal to register Silva, leaving the midfielder in limbo.
However, the France-born playmaker has now been officially registered following the start of the January transfer window and he is looking forward to putting a difficult few months behind him.
Speaking to Leicester’s club website, Silva said: “It’s been very frustrating, but now the difficult times are past me and now I’m very happy to be close to my goal.
“I’ve been working hard every day to arrive at this moment and I’m in good shape.
After the completion of his registration as a #lcfc player on New Year’s Day, here's what Adrien Silva had to say in an exclusive interview with LCFC TV 👉 https://t.co/SEwAZ9bLyI pic.twitter.com/gEvcMZ0sCX
— Leicester City (@LCFC) January 1, 2018
“It’s been very important to keep training because it’s a long time not playing and of course I can work and train more than normal, but there is nothing better than the game.
I will be in good shape because I have worked a lot — I have confidence in that — but I have to play games to get better.”
Silva was allowed to start training with his new team-mates in October last year and could take part in behind-closed-doors friendlies before any debut in the new year.
He will not be allowed to make his debut against Huddersfield on New Year’s Day as it was only recognised that he had officially signed for Leicester at midnight.
Silva could, therefore, make his debut for the Midlands-based club against Fleetwood Town in the FA Cup on 6 January.
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