Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By DAN KARELL
Thanks to the extensive network of contacts in New York Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese’s Rolodex, the club welcomed a hugely experienced striker to training on Thursday.
In conference call on Thursday, Savarese confirmed to reporters that former Portugal international Nuno Gomes took part in Cosmos practice and is using the club to help regain fitness while he’s on vacation in New York. The 37-year-old forward spent last season with Blackburn, scoring four times in 18 appearances as the club staved off relegation. In June, Gomes and Blackburn agreed to part ways and mutually end his contract.
“The rumors about Nuno Gomes training with us, they are true,” Savarese said. “He’s trained today for the first time, he’s going to continue training with us for the next few days and next week.
“He’s visiting New York and through a mutual friend he asked to see if he could come and train, and we accepted the interest because he’s a quality player and he’s a player that’s been in the highest level playing for so many great teams and the Portuguese National Team. It’s great to have somebody like him in training.”
Savarese did clarify that Gomes isn’t in New York for a trial with the club, but admitted that down the road, perhaps if Gomes doesn’t find another club to play with, it’s a possibility for him to join the Cosmos.
“It’s not a trial, he just contacted us to train with us,” Savarese said. “He wants to get back into shape after finishing with Blackburn last season. New York is a city that we have the pleasure of so many great players coming in and through a mutual friend he decided to come in (to training).
“That being said, you never know what can happen in the future.”
Over the course of his career, Gomes scored 29 goals in 79 matches for the Portuguese National Team, representing his nation in Euro 2000, 2004, and 2008 as well as the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Gomes spent the majority of his club career in Portugal, making nearly 300 appearances for Benfica between 1997-2000 and 2002-2011.
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What do you think of this news? Would you like to see Nuno Gomes in a Cosmos shirt? Do you see him potentially signing with the club?