Sanches happy to be involved as Portugal reach quarters

Whether it is off the bench or in the starting XI, Renato Sanches is just happy to play his part for Portugal after it stunned Croatia to advance to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.

Published : Jun 26, 2016 23:12 IST , Lens

Teenage sensation Sanches came off the bench and produced a man-of-the-match performance.
Teenage sensation Sanches came off the bench and produced a man-of-the-match performance.
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Teenage sensation Sanches came off the bench and produced a man-of-the-match performance.

Whether it is off the bench or in the starting XI, Renato Sanches is just happy to play his part for Portugal after it stunned Croatia to advance to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.

Teenage sensation Sanches came off the bench and produced a man-of-the-match performance as Portugal defied the odds to upstage Croatia 1-0 after extra time thanks to Ricardo Quaresma's 117th-minute goal in Lens on Saturday.

Despite calls for Fernando Santos to start Sanches, the 18-year-old midfielder has been named among the substitutes in all four games at the European Championship, coming off the bench in three of those, not that the player is concerned ahead of a last-eight showdown against Poland.

"I'm very happy, of course. This is an amazing moment. I was happy to be in the squad and it's amazing to enjoy this with great players," Sanches said.

"I'm not worried about that [starting matches], I'm thinking about the team. I'll try my best if I get the chance in the first XI, but if I'm in, I'm in, if not, I'm not."

Sanches - who has signed a five-year contract with Bayern Munich - added: "I'm very happy to have signed for Bayern Munich but right now I'm focused on the national team and next match with Poland."

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