A glance at Porto’s social media in the wake of Stephen Eustaquio’s exit says something about the type of player Swansea City have signed.

“Forever in our history” said one post on the Portuguese giant’s X account, before another described the midfielder as “a Dragon in body and soul”.

Scroll a little further on the Porto page and you will find news of the Champions League draw, where the reigning Portuguese champions will face the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Napoli this season.

Eustaquio played in the Champions League, the Europa League and the Club World Cup after joining Porto in 2022.

But a new challenge awaits the Canada international, who will get a first taste of the Championship at Derby County this Saturday.

Eustaquio will quickly get to know the English second tier, with a home game against Watford to come next Tuesday before a third game in seven days when Wrexham visit the following weekend.

The 29-year-old admits his £3.4m move to Wales has come as something of a surprise.

Eustaquio felt that “probably I was going to Italy or Spain” before his agent called about the possibility of joining Swansea.

“I said OK, let me just look more into it,” Eustaquio says.

“When I knew about what happened [at Swansea] last season and when I knew about the coach, Vitor Matos, being Portuguese and being a coach that loves to have possession and loves to take responsibility of the game, I think it’s something that really suits my profile.

“At the same time to have this challenge to go as far as we can, and then hopefully if everything goes well we can make it to the play-offs and who knows…

“To have that goal in my mind, to help the team to success but at the same time to have pleasure with the way we play, to me that is important. I feel it’s a very good opportunity for me in my career.”

Eustaquio made 157 appearances during his four and a half years at Porto.

He scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists for the Dragons while helping the club to a string of domestic trophies.

Born in Canada to Portuguese parents, Eustaquio moved to Portugal as a child.

He played for Torrense, Leixoes and Chaves and, after a brief stint in Mexico at Cruz Azul, returned to Portugal with Pacos de Ferreria, where his form secured a move to Porto.

Eustaquio had a spell on loan at Los Angeles FC earlier this year in order to get game time before the World Cup, but concedes it has not been easy to say goodbye to Porto, a club he has grown to “call home”.

“I had amazing experiences there,” he adds.

“Basically I entered [Porto] as a kid and I leave as a man.

“But just like life, we have to move on and I’m glad that I have that experience in my backpack to keep going.”

Though he had to brush up on Swansea before agreeing to this week’s move, Eustaquio was aware of the club’s Premier League history.

“I think everybody remembers the time that Michu was scoring every goal possible and playing in the European competitions,” he says.

“Even in Portugal, my friends when they knew that I was coming to Swansea were like ‘oh, that’s a big club’.”

Eustaquio also knows of Swansea’s celebrity co-owners, who include Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric.

He has not spoken to either Snoop or Modric – but has experience of big names behind the scenes having played for LAFC, who are part-owned by Hollywood star Will Ferrell.

“The first game [for LAFC], we won against Inter Miami,” Eustaquio explains with a smile.

“Will Ferrell came into the locker room, I was in my boxers, I was like ‘oh, this is weird’.”

Eustaquio, a playmaker who is viewed by Swansea as a replacement for Ethan Galbraith, begins a new chapter in his career on the back of a stellar summer.

He is Canada’s vice-captain, but ended up leading the team throughout much of the World Cup as a result of skipper Alphonso Davies’ fitness struggles.

Eustaquio helped his national team reach the round of 16 – Canada’s best World Cup performance – with his late winner in the first knockout round against South Africa the high point of the run.

“I think that moment was probably the highest moment I had as an individual, just because it was the first time that Canada scored in a knockout round and we won the game,” he says.

“So yeah [that is] one more mark that I’m very proud of. But at the same time I know I still have a lot of years to go and hopefully I can make more things happen.”

Eustaquio gave an emotional pitchside interview after the South Africa triumph, in which he was asked about his parents, Esmeralda and Armando.

Esmeralda died from brain cancer in April 2023 and Armando died a year later from a heart attack.

Eustaquio’s interview was shown around the world.

“I think a football player during their careers, they work and they work and they work and normally they work in the shadows,” he says now.

“When something like [the South Africa goal] happens, we tend to remember who’s been there for us in the past couple of years.

“I had an amazing family, and have now, that follows me everywhere in my career.

“I was never the player who played in big teams [as a youngster] so I had to go through all the divisions and that gave me a profile of a lot of fight, humbleness, so I’m very proud of that.”