 Caleb’s stock continues to rise at Atletico
Coveted Australian goalkeeper “ready” for the step up
 Caleb Patterson-Sewell, better known in these parts by his first name alone, continues to enjoy life in Portugal. The commanding performances of the Australian goalkeeper have played a key role in Atletico Clube de Portugal’s impressive record of just six goals conceded in ten league games this season. That defensive solidity helps explain why the historical Lisbon club are currently sitting pretty on top of the Liga Orangina.
Speaking exclusively to PortuGOAL, Caleb admits “it has been a dream start” to his career in Portugal.
PortuGOAL: You’ve played in every Liga Orangina match this season, conceded just 6 goals in 10 matches, and Atletico are top of the Liga Orangina. Could you have hoped for a better start to your career in Portugal?
“It’s a good situation for the club and a good situation for me. I guess I didn’t think it would have gone this smoothly so far. We’ve put ourselves in a good spot. But the last game (a home defeat to Moreirense) was a timely reminder that while we’re still on top of the league, we must keep doing all the correct things.
“Anybody can beat anybody in this league. There are only a few points separating the bottom right the way to the top. It’s a very competitive league. But it has been a dream start, so to speak. We’ve had an exceptional defensive record - conceding less than a goal a game. If we keep it like that we’ll be in with a shout no matter who we play.”
PortuGOAL: What has playing in Portugal added to your game?
 “Every country has its own style. Here it’s very technical. In terms of goalkeeping we work a lot more on playing out from the back, as opposed to in the States or in England where in general it’s more direct. Here there is more patience, playing it out from the back, more footwork, playing it to team-mates, using your feet as the last man.”
PortuGOAL: Footballers often talk about seizing the opportunity in a short career. You have been attracting a lot of attention. If a top-flight club came in for you, would you go as a back-up, or would you prefer to stay for a guaranteed first-team spot?
“It’s a good question. Like any footballer I want to play at the highest level possible. That’s why I came to Portugal and took the position at Atletico, to hopefully do well so I could put myself in the shop window. Everything for me is going to plan.
“To go to a top-flight club would be brilliant. I would back myself 110% to go to a top-flight club as a number two and fight for that number one spot. I’m not afraid of the competition, but the club would have to be right. I’d have to go into a situation where things were pretty much equal. I wouldn’t want to go into a situation where you have pretty much no chance of playing.
“So if the opportunity arose I would definitely have to look at it, but as a young goalkeeper you can’t beat playing games, and right now I’m playing games, I’m still quite young and we’re in a great run of form… I don’t like to say that Promotion word, but if we’re still in this position come January and February we’d be in with a great shout and it would be tough to leave Atletico. So I’d definitely only leave for the right situation.”
PortuGOAL: Has your agent spoken to you about anything in the pipeline?
“Yes, we’ve been approached by a few clubs now, especially in the last couple of weeks, although nothing is concrete. We’re approaching December and January is just around the corner. I said to him I’ll just focus on my football and leave it up to him to bring to me anything concrete further down the road. We’ve had some indication that people want to try and do something but that will be between my club, my manager and I’ll make the final decision, but like I said, it has to be the right situation to make me leave Atletico.”
PortuGOAL: You could go from playing in front of around 1,000 fans to playing in front of around 50,000. Do you feel ready to make that leap?
 “I consider myself a ‘big game’ player. Any footballer wants to play in front of big crowds. I’ve played in front of bigger crowds in the States and in England so it’s not something that would scare me or I’d be afraid of. I consider it a joy to play in front of those sorts of crowds. I think any player would. So for me, I’m ready to go. It’s just a question of timing and the right situation.”
PortuGOAL: Atletico is unusual in Portugal in one sense in that the club has a very Portuguese based squad. What is the atmosphere like at the club and how are you getting on with the language?
“The language is still a work in progress! In the locker room we have young guys and older guys. There are a sprinkling of players who speak English and the banter is really good. It’s healthy in there. People want to come to work every day, together all the guys have a great laugh and it’s a good environment.”
by Tom Kundert
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