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Portuguese midfielder Paulo Alves is on a mission to make the grade at Liverpool and prove FC Porto wrong.

The 17-year-old is preparing to move to the Kirkby Academy after the Reds last month agreed a nominal fee with AD Sanjoanense, who play in the third tier in his homeland.

Alves, who is known as Paulinho, is likely to start off in Neil Critchley’s under-18s squad but is hoping to progress quickly up the ranks.

He spent seven years on the books at FC Porto but left in 2014 frustrated at his lack of opportunities. He made the move to Sanjoanense where he made a dozen first-team appearances last season.

The teenager impressed Liverpool Academy staff during a trial last season and penned a contract with the Reds in May before returning to Portugal. Now he can’t wait to return to Merseyside and get started.

“The facilities at Liverpool are spectacular and the people of the Academy received me very well,” he said.

“They’ve asked me to work hard every day and I’ve been told the young players have many opportunities to train regularly with the first team.

“I just have to grab the opportunity and demonstrate quality.

“Since I knew that my future was at Liverpool, my dream has been to play at Anfield. I hope someday to achieve it.

“It’s a dream come true after the great disappointment of last year. It was not easy to abandon FC Porto and head to a smaller club.

“But I didn’t play as much as I wanted for Porto. I felt I was no longer happy there so I decided to leave.

“I chose to go to Sanjoanense because of the possibility to integrate into the senior squad.

"I ended up having one of the happiest times of my life. It was a spectacular year for me.”