"Disappointed" - Portugal manager hits back at Fabio Carvalho quitting the national team

Portugal U21 manager Rui Jorge has given his thoughts on Fabio Carvalho giving up on the Portuguese national team. 

Earlier this week, a statement from the Portuguese FA revealed that Liverpool starlet Fabio Carvalho had 'given up' on the Portugal Under 21 side.

Speaking to reporters whilst on international duty, as cited by Anfield Watch's Twitter account, the Portuguese U21 manager Rui Jorge has said that he was 'disappointed' that Carvalho did not even give him a phone call to tell him about his decision.

“I got disappointed by the way it went. The fact that Fabio sent me a message, on Saturday night, saying that he didn’t want to continue in the under-21s," Jorge said.

“And that he had been thinking and didn’t want to continue in the under-21s because it no longer brought him any benefit. For now, it’s a message. My answer was: ‘So, Fabio, not even a phone call?’. And the disappointment was precisely there.

“After my message, I thought Fabio would pick up the phone. That’s what I always conveyed to them, that they could talk to me about these matters. I only want people in this space who really want to be here.

“It should be noted that while he was with us, [he] always behaved exemplary at all levels. What he brought to our game too, his relationship with our staff was impeccable. He was treated with affection and respect that we all deserve. That’s why I was surprised.

“He will have his reasons and, of course, he will explain them better in the future. We all loved Fabio a lot. We liked him and continue to like him. I take the opportunity to wish him all the luck in the world in his career, because he has always been an exceptional kid."

Anfield Watch Verdict

What a crazy situation. As Rui said, Carvalho is a very well-behaved and exemplary young man so it's a strange turn of events that he would just quit with no specific reason.

Despite being born in Portugal, Carvalho has been living in England since he was 11 and he even represented the Three Lions at U16, U17 and U18 levels before joining the Portuguese youth setup.

It's still unsure what the 20-year-old is going to do regarding his international future but there has been speculation that he could be heading back to the England setup.

Who knows, Lee Carsley, who manages England's U21's, could tempt the Liverpool youngster with a call-up in the near future.