Hero Nuno’s taking nothing for granted
WOLVES boss Nuno Espirito Santo has laughed off suggestions he is currently the safest manager in football.
The Portuguese coach has worked miracles at Molineux, winning the Championship title and then steering Wolves to seventh place in the Premier League with an FA Cup quarterfinal thrown in just for good measure.
Nuno is adored by the Wolves fans and everything in the garden looks rosy as he prepares his side for the trip to Bournemouth today. But the 45-year-old says he’s never taken anything for granted and is not about to start now.
He said: “I do not speak to anybody about long-term things
– I don’t even speak to my wife about that!
“There’s no such thing. You just have to think about the next day and live in the moment. Only day by day exists for me.
“I say to the players, ‘There’s tomorrow and then there’s the day after’. When players are happy and sign a contract, then it should go in the drawer and forget about it.”
He is delighted that skipper Conor Coady is one of three players, along with Matt Doherty and Romain Saiss, who have just signed new long-term deals.
Coady has been inspirational in Wolves’ rise and has attracted the interest of England boss Gareth Southgate.
And Nuno believes his 25-year-old leader is playing a crucial part in driving the club forward.
He said: “I see what Conor brings to us on a daily basis. He is very committed and is always trying to improve himself – everything that you want to see from a football player.
“He is a natural leader who has developed with time but there are things he can still improve.
“Don’t ask me if I think Gareth should pick him. I want him to be focused here.
“Here is where you achieve things.
“Conor leads by example and that’s important as a captain.
“You have to have it – and he has.”