Ruben Neves: Wolves is the 'right place' for me
Ruben Neves believes Wolves is the perfect club for him to grow as a player and has opened up on his relationship with 'super-agent' Jorge Mendes.
The Portuguese star swapped the Champions League for the Championship in his £15m move from Porto to Wolves, and has already lit up Molineux since his league debut.
And in an interview with The Sun, the 20-year-old has confirmed that he thinks he's at the right club to develop his skills.
"At the moment I am playing every game in the Championship, I want to grow as a player" he said, speaking through an interpreter.
“That’s what I’m doing at the moment. I think the Championship is the right place for that.”
In a previous interview, the midfield maestro confirmed that he does see the Premier League as his next target, and following Wolves' start to the season they've since become one of the favourites to secure automatic promotion.
And whilst eyebrows were raised when the youngest ever Champions League captain made the move to the second tier of English football, Neves could be vindicated for the move should he reach his target alongside Nuno Espirito Santo.
What's more, he isn't worried about the move to the Championship affecting his chances of stepping on with his career - in fact, he believes it's a move which could benefit him.
"England has good visibility at the moment. The Portuguese media has mentioned it a lot and the more the better. It’s good for everyone.
"Every player wants to be there in the national team. I’m sure they look everywhere, at every single player.
"I’m sure with the hard work and commitment I’ve been putting in, my time will come. I’m quite young still.
But while Nuno was a key factor in his move to Wolves, it would be naive to think that Mendes, the man working hand-in-hand with Fosun, didn't have a starring role in the deal.
The midfielder is one of numerous Gestifute clients having joined the Portuguese revolution at the club, and Neves admits that he places a large amount of trust in the so-called 'super-agent'.
"He tries to give me the best opportunities. I have to work for him to prove that I am worth those opportunities" he said.
"He’s a nice person to deal with and a very humble person. The contacts that he has, he can place a player in almost any club nowadays, he’s so famous.
"I met Jorge Mendes in 2014 and we see each other now and again. Not only him, but his collaborators. He can’t be everywhere at the same time, so he has people who work for him.
"We meet whenever we need to and we have an excellent relationship.
"Of course I trust him a lot because he is the right person to trust because he looks after my career. I am sure he will really improve my career a lot."
Time will only tell whether that trust is well placed, although judging by the start he's made at Wolves it seems to be a relationship which is working for all involved.
