Toti Gomes: I will come back stronger for Wolves next season

After being overlooked by Bruno Lage, and initially by Julen Lopetegui, Toti played a vital role in Wolves securing safety in the final months of last season.

The defender is currently with the Portugal squad after his first senior call-up, and is already planning to return better for Wolves.

“After the season finished, I just wanted to have some time with the family, relax and recover before joining up with the national team for the first time and working to come back stronger for the new season,” he said.

“That’s the plan for me. To do everything I can to come back stronger.”

Wolves return to pre-season in early July before heading off on a training camp in the Algarve.

The squad will then fly to South Korea for friendlies against Celtic and Roma, and Toti is excited by the opportunity.

“I’ve not really been to many countries in Asia before, so it will be my first time to Korea, and the first time for most of us, but it’s Channy’s (Hwang Hee-chan) home country and I’m pretty sure he will help us out there with everything because he knows the country better than anyone,” he added.

“I think we’re all really looking forward to the pre-season. I’m looking forward to exploring a new culture, the food and everything over there, so it will be a really good trip.

“Every year during the off-season I try to go somewhere new and a different country to see what the culture is like and explore everything else, so I’m going to enjoy what we do there.”

This summer will be Lopetegui’s first chance to take the team for a pre-season and full Premier League campaign, after his appointment in November.

The Spaniard took his side for a training camp in Marbella before the season resumed after the World Cup – and Toti is relishing the chance to work with Lopetegui this summer.

“It will be good to start the pre-season with the coach from the beginning,” Toti said.

“We had a kind of pre-season after the World Cup last year, and we were able to spend time with him in Marbella, so we could get to know the way he works, so we already know what to expect from him this summer.

“But I’m looking forward to joining back up with my team-mates and the staff and I’ll be looking at my work to try to be ready for what is coming. I will keep working hard and we will see how it will be.”