Andre Silva. 'Finally!' they're saying in Portugal, 'a player to lead our line'. But for how long will local fans see this phenomenon playing week-in, week-out for Porto?

At 21, with the striker celebrating his birthday today, Silva is already a record breaker. His hat-trick against the Faroe Islands made him the youngest ever player to achieve such a feat with Portugal. An 88 year-old record that even the great Eusebio, nor Cristiano Ronaldo, could knock off.

It was his explosive form this season with Porto that forced Fernando Santos, the Portugal coach, to hand him his chance. Seven goals from nine games in the league, three in the Champions League. Silva's impact has been irresistible. Santos simply couldn't ignore him.

"André Silva is a classic No9," says Santos, "the most natural we have.

"We must now see how he develops. But he is a player who has been a long time in our sights and we understand that now his time has come."

Indeed, while his name has suddenly burst from the backpages of the European press, in Portugal - and not just inside Porto - they've been aware of Silva's goalscoring talent for some time.

Jacques Pereira, a former Porto striker himself, tipped Silva for greatness before he made his first team debut.

"Two years ago, I had the right opinion about this kid. I was confident he'd be confirmed. He has all the conditions to be a great FC Porto striker and for the national team. They have to support him, motivate him and work with him, and he will respond in full. I'm absolutely sure."

But not everyone was. And that it's only this season when we're learning Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United from England are now watching him, along with Atletico Madrid and Juventus, can be attributed to Nuno, after he took over the reigns of Porto from Jolen Lopetegui, now in charge of Spain.

"Andre does not surprise me," says Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, Porto's president, "he often trained with the senior team and last season played several games. But I think he was poorly managed, he should have been given his chance earlier. But these are technical decisions, which I never interfere with."

This isn't just bluster from the president. To his credit, Pinto da Costa recognised Silva was on the brink of something special and managed to tie the youngster to a new five-year contract this summer - raising his buyout clause to €60 million in the process. If the likes of Arsenal and United had acted sooner, they could have landed the superkid for €25 million.

Not bad business given Porto took Silva on as a 14 year-old for just €500. That was from Salgueiros, but he also passed through the youth systems of Boavista and Padroense before eventually playing his way to Porto.

"I arrived at Porto when I was 14 and that was when I became the player I am today. I had a lot to learn when I came here," says Silva.

"It was a difficult process that required a lot of dedication. I've worked hard to get where I am now."

That new deal was negotiated by super agent Jorge Mendes (who else?) - barely days after his Gestifute company had added Silva to his star-studded stable.

"Jorge is the best manager in the world and I aspire to be the best in the world," says Silva. "The intention is for me to focus on just my football and that business is handled by the company."

Still, the experience with Porto B wasn't all bad, with Silva being named last season's Segunda Divisao Player of the Year.

But it's in the Champions League where Silva is making waves across Europe. With Porto sharing the same group as Leicester City, its allowed Premier League managers to study how Silva copes with a typically physical and robust English defence.

"It is essential that the players get used to playing at the highest level and there is nothing above the Champions League," argues Silva. "I take these games a little more seriously. I try to learn as much as possible with them, with the atmosphere, and try to develop myself further.

"All Champions League matches are difficult."

Silva is grateful for the guidance he's enjoying under Nuno and feels he's already becoming a more "complete" player working with the former Valencia coach.

"Mister asks me to never stop playing for the team and to always work without thinking about the goals because they will eventually come naturally. He tells me to always work for the benefit of the team, to do things right and then think about the goals."

Heeding such advice has Silva making headlines and being discussed inside the most powerful boardrooms across Europe. As Jacques Pereira tipped two years ago, Porto have something very special on their hands:

"He's a kid with many qualities. He has ambition, he has value, he knows how to work on the field, he knows how to be good in the area, and that is very important for me. I think for the people who manage him and work with him daily, if they value him, he will be the future leader of the National Team, something which we have not had for many years.

"This kid has the potential to become a star player at the national level."