32 RUBEN NEVES & DIOGO JOTA
FFT: You have both played a star role in steering Wolves towards the Premier League – you must be satisfied with the way things have gone since arriving in the summer? Neves (left): It’s been great. The Championship is a really hard league so we can’t relax yet, but things have worked out well. Jota: It’s been a great season so far. We started it with a different way of playing and tried some innovative tactics. I think we maybe took a few of our opponents by surprise. FFT: Ruben, you joined Wolves for £15.8m from Porto – a Football League record. Did you feel any pressure? Neves: Honestly, I don’t care about that kind of thing. Last season at Porto was not as good as expected from a personal perspective – I didn’t play as much as I wanted, so when this chance appeared I didn’t think twice. I knew I’d be able to develop myself here, and I feel a completely different player. I love the atmosphere inside the stadium – the supporters are mental about the club, so every match is special. FFT: Diogo, you’re on loan from Atletico Madrid. Was it a hard decision to swap the Spanish top flight for the Championship? Jota: Last year I was fighting for the title on loan at Porto, so it was different adapting to English football and the fierce competition at the club. But I thought it was a good decision aiming for the Premier League – the dream for every player. FFT: You played together at Porto, and there are several Portuguese speakers at Wolves. Has that helped you both? Neves: It’s a huge help, especially for me since this is my first experience abroad. We have got a fantastic group here and everyone, no matter the nationality, gave us a warm welcome. FFT: Do the Portuguese-speaking players spend a lot of time together? Jota: For sure! We have a small community here and we’re all very close. FFT: Are there any good Portuguese restaurants in the Midlands? Jota: To be honest, we haven’t found many. Neves: Indeed. We can’t find as many options as in London, unfortunately. Jota: We’ve been to some Brazilian restaurants, though, and a Portuguese cafe too. They help us to get traditional dishes that we can’t find here. FFT: What else do you do? Neves: We like to play video games together and went off to do paintball the other day. We’ll play snooker pretty often as well. FFT: Who wins? Neves: It depends. If it’s FIFA, Diogo’s the best – he’s addicted to it! Jota: That’s true, though Ruben’s better at pool. FFT: You’ve both played in the Champions League for Porto – was that good experience? Jota: Definitely. You only take great experiences from playing at that level. Neves: You can’t deny that. Players learn from it in different ways, but it’s something very positive. FFT: Given that experience, do you feel you would both do well in the Premier League? Neves: It’s too early to think about that. We have to think about securing promotion first, and then assess our chances in the Premier League. Jota: It’s difficult to say because we understand the Championship is different from the Premier League. I’m on loan but the board has expressed their intentions of keeping me, and I want to play in the Premier League. We must remain focused, because automatic promotion isn’t guaranteed. But it’s been so far, so good.