Few players can have experienced as varied an upbringing – and football education – as Renato Veiga.

As well as his native Portugal, Renato spent considerable time in both Cyprus, on the other side of Europe, and Morocco, much closer to home but in a different continent. His father, Nelson, was a professional footballer whose playing career him took him to those countries, and the Veiga clan followed in tow.

Unsurprisingly, having a footballer for a dad triggered Renato’s passion for the game.

‘My earliest memories are going to the stadium to watch him play,’ he recalls.

‘It was the only place as a kid I was quiet and not running. It was the best thing. When he would go to play away games, I would pack my bag too and leave it at the door.

‘I’d wave him goodbye, and dream of one day being able to go away with the team like he was. Just to have this goal in front of me, to go and watch him train, was amazing. It motivated me and gave me knowledge of what you had to do to achieve that.

‘Since I was young I knew I wanted to be football player, and I would do whatever it takes to achieve it.’

Renato moved to Cyprus aged four, when his father signed for Omonoia Nicosia. It was with that club that Renato first participated in organised football. After training, he would then return home and play in the streets with the local kids. ‘It was just football, football, football,’ he smiles.

Renato returned to Lisbon – ‘the best place in the world’ - when he was seven, joining Sporting’s academy. Three years later, he was back on the move, this time to Marrakesh. He played at the Academy of Tahar El Khalej, a former Benfica and Morocco international, and soon picked up Arabic. It is one of five languages the impressive Renato speaks, along with Portuguese, French, Spanish and English.

‘I’m a person that likes to take a bit of everything, always, to grow and be better,’ he says as he reflects on that time in his life.

‘I took things from here, things from there, things from here. That helped build my character. My parents gave me a lot of freedom, and above all education, to be respectful in school and in your life.

‘They were two very good role models. I wanted to be like them in terms of character, drive and mentality, and first of all to be a good person.’

When Nelson’s time in Morocco came to an end, so did Renato’s. The 14-year-old signed first for Real Massama, a small club in Sintra, and was later picked up by Sporting once again. He made his debut for their B team in September 2020, shortly after his 17th birthday.

‘The level of football in Portugal is so high from when you’re really young,’ he explains of his hometown education.

‘They are the best in the country, if not the best in Europe, in that region. That’s why you see in a tiny country like Portugal, compared to Brazil or other countries that are bigger, the quality of the players is amazing. That’s the work of the academies when you’re so young.’

Renato had taken all the fluctuations thrown his way in his stride. A first major challenge presented itself in January 2023, when he was loaned to Bundesliga side Augsburg in search of playing time in a top five European league.

‘Living in Lisbon was top, so when I went to Germany it was kind of a shock,' he explained. 'It was mentally tough. It was the first time I was away from my family. That was the hardest thing for me, because I’m a family guy.

‘I had been living with them in Lisbon, and then I went alone at 19 years old to Augsburg. It’s like a village! It was a different reality, but it made me grow so much. I had to, in such a short space of time, but without that I wouldn’t have developed my character. I was trying to take a bit from everything, and keep going. I really appreciate those times.’

Renato really appreciates these times, too. He says he couldn’t have imagined signing for Chelsea when he was that young boy daring to dream he might one day follow in his father’s footsteps.

‘I’m just grateful to be honest, and trying to enjoy every bit. I’m very happy and proud to be here. It’s always a moment of pride to put the shirt on.

‘My parents told me to always try and do my best in every situation. That is exactly what I am doing now. I always want to be the best version of myself I can be. There is no better place to do it than at Chelsea. I’m just proud.

‘I want to give my best for this huge club, and win a lot of trophies. That’s what we all want. We don’t know when, if it’s today or tomorrow, but that’s our main goal and that is what we are working towards.’

And when that silverware arrives, there will be people in Cyprus and Morocco, as well as Portugal, with an extra spring in their step, knowing the role they played in Renato’s journey.