Tiago Abiola Delfim Almeida Ilori is a Portuguesefootballer who plays as a centre-back for Sporting CP. He started his career with Sporting, making his debut with the first team in 2011 before signing with Liverpool two years later. He spent three seasons in the English Championship with Reading after joining in January 2017, and also competed professionally in Spain and France. Ilori earned 36 caps for Portugal at youth level, including ten with the under-21 team.
Club career
Sporting
Born in Hampstead, London to a British father of Nigerian descent and a Portuguese mother, Ilori spent his childhood in the town of Albufeira in the Algarve, where he started playing football with local Imortal DC. He joined Sporting CP's youth ranks in the summer of 2006 as a striker, being loaned to Lisbon neighbours G.D. Estoril Praia at the age of 14 and returning for three more years already reconverted as a stopper. On 6 November 2011, Ilori made his official debut for the Lions' first team, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 Primeira Liga home win against U.D. Leiria. On 14 December he played his first game in the UEFA Europa League, starting in a 0–2 group stage loss to S.S. Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico as his team had already secured the first place in their group. In only his fourth official appearance for Sporting, on 16 February 2013 at Gil Vicente FC, Ilori again played the entire match, and helped to a 3–2 victory by scoring the former's second goal in the sixth minute.
Liverpool
On 2 September 2013, Ilori was signed by Liverpool for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £7 million. It was also announced that The Football Association were in talks with the player for him to switch nationality and represent England internationally. On 5 January 2014, Ilori was named on his new team's benchfor the first time, in an FA Cup match against Oldham Athletic. Fifteen days later, he was loaned to Granada CF in La Liga until the end of the campaign. On 7 February he made his debut for the Andalusians, in a 0–1 away loss to RCD Espanyol; in the following round he also started, and assisted Piti for the game's only goal at home against Real Betis. Ilori was loaned again on 18 August 2014, now to FC Girondins de Bordeaux from France. He scored in only his third Ligue 1 appearance, helping a to a 1–1 draw at AS Saint-Étienne. Fellow Premier League club Aston Villa signed Ilori on a season-long loan deal on 1 September 2015. On 7 January 2016, the move was cancelled and he returned to Liverpool, making his first competitive appearance with the first team the following day by starting the FA Cupthird round match against Exeter City, which ended with a 2–2 draw at St James Park.
