Little-known former England wonderkid who won World Cup with Phil Foden ready to KO Man Utd’s Europa League dream
DANNY NAMASO will be hoping to make his mark for Porto against Manchester United in the Europa League.
Despite being English, he is relatively unknown outside Portugal. Charlie Wyett takes a look at the player who started out at Reading.
In England, didn’t he have Loader on the back of his shirt?
Yes. He was born Daniel Namaso Edi-Mesumbe Loader on August 28 2000. He carried his surname Loader until the start of the 2022-23 season with Porto.
His brother, Ben Loader, is a rugby union star who features for Stormers in Cape Town, having previously played for London Irish.
Where did he start?
After starting at youth level with Wycombe, he moved to home town club Reading aged 13 and progressed through the ranks. He played 35 first-team games for the club although only scored twice.
When did he move to Portugal?
He left Reading, aged 20, for Porto B in 2020 but the Berkshire club did not get any compensation as it was an international transfer.
After two seasons with Porto’s reserves, he moved up permanently to the main team in 2022. Namaso made his first-team debut against Boavista, replacing Evanilson, who moved to Bournemouth in the summer for £40million.
Has he played for England?
He was a member of England’s U17 World Cup winning squad in 2017 – he also played throughout the age groups until the under 20s. But now, it looks as though he is set to play for Cameroon.
What type of player is he?
He is a striker but more effective as a no 10. He has scored 11 goals in 71 appearances for Porto so is not prolific.
He has good skill and technique but does struggle as the main focal point. He began the season as a starter for Porto but has recently dropped to the substitute’s bench.
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What is his contract situation?
In January, he extended his contract with Porto until June 2028.
So he has settled in well in Portugal?
Yes. He speaks good Portuguese having taken regular lessons and to the delight of the locals, he has a strong Porto accent.