Leonel Pontes always knew Jose Sa would be a star

Signed in the summer for just £6.8million from Olympiacos, the goalkeeper has fit in seamlessly with Bruno Lage’s tactics and become a fan favourite.

Goalkeepers often blossom later in their careers and Sa is another example of that.

The 29-year-old only had 51 senior appearances to his name from his five-year spell at Maritimo and Porto before he moved to Greece in 2018 on loan and then permanently the following summer.

He became the number one goalkeeper for Olympicaos before making the switch to the Premier League.

Despite his long road to regular football, his former manager at Maritimo, Leonel Pontes, always saw potential.

“I worked with him in 2014/15 and by that time he was already about 21 or 22-years-old,” Pontes told the Express & Star. “He was not the main goalkeeper, we had an older goalkeeper in Romain Salin, but even at that time Jose had potential.

“He had good skills and a good physical condition for the position. He was a taller goalkeeper.

“At that time he needed games, he needed to play to grow up and improve. With the transfer to Porto and then after the move to Olympiacos, that was probably the best moment for him to play at a high level.

“It gave him a chance to go to Wolves. The performance of the goalkeeper depends on how the team play and how they defend. In this moment he is doing his job with quality because Wolves is a balanced team and one that defends with quality, which helps the goalkeeper.

“In 2014 we knew he could have a good career as a goalkeeper. All he needed was to play, and that is why he has grown up a lot in the last few seasons.”

A lot of his ‘growing up’ came at Olympiacos where Sa made 124 appearances over three seasons.

Pedro Martins had managed him at Maritimo and later brought him to Greece.

“It was a very important move,” Pontes said. “When I went to Maritimo, Pedro Martins was Jose’s first coach in the B team. Later he brought him to Olympiacos and that move was very important for him.

“It was impossible for him to have a good career without playing and he went to Olympiacos, won the Championship in Greece, made the Champions League, and that gave him the maturity and quality.

“That is why he has adapted easily to the Premier League with a team that defends well. He is a very good goalkeeper.”

These days, Sa is a big presence in the Wolves changing room and a loud and jovial character – prompting skipper Conor Coady to hail him as an ‘incredible’ addition.

But the Portuguese shot-stopper was not always the confident figure you see today.

Pontes added: “He was very quiet. He worked well and was a good professional, with a good work ethic even when he was not in the starting XI, and he knew his quality.

“He had confidence in himself but he was more reserved. He had a good relationship with his team-mates, but he was very reserved.

“That was eight years ago and since then he has grown up. Now he is more mature, more confident and is happy because he is playing.

“He is doing a good job and his happiness transfers to the changing room for his team-mates.”

Despite having one of the best seasons of any Premier League goalkeeper this year, Sa was originally left out of the current Portugal side before an injury to Anthony Lopes saw him receive a late call-up.

Sa faces a difficult task to get into the World Cup squad, but Pontes believes he is capable of forcing his way in.

He said: “It’s possible that he can push for the World Cup, but there are also some good goalkeepers coming through.

“At the moment Rui Patricio is number one and we also have Diogo Costa coming through at Porto, who is doing a very good job and could be the second goalkeeper.

“But we never know. Jose Sa could be with the national team because of his performances, he could be one of the best goalkeepers in Portugal.

“I don’t have any doubt he will be one of the four goalkeepers in the squad and then the national team coach will have to choose three for the World Cup.

“Wolves had difficulty in the beginning with a new coach and some players changed, but the team grew up together and Jose Sa grew up also.

“All the players began to perform and that depends on the collective quality. That gives performances and Jose has learned a lot.

“To replace Rui Patricio is not easy. I think he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, for me he is in the top 10.”