Sporting CP have a rich history of developing prodigious young talents, none more so than Cristiano Ronaldo, and the club’s philosophy is spreading to their successful women’s team.
Although Sporting have not broken the domestic dominance of Benfica, no more proof of their development success is needed than the case of Olivia Smith, who was plucked from Canada’s academy system and sold to Liverpool a year later for a club record fee. Now Sporting are expanding into a new market: English players.
