Ruben Neves: Wolves is a big opportunity for me

The £15million midfielder has settled in well at Molineux, playing all five league games so far and producing consistent performances as well as a stunning goal in the 3-2 win at Hull City.

It seems he’s taken no time at all to adapt to his new surroundings.

And like a number of Wolves’ many new signings, the atmosphere generated by the Wolves fans has impressed Neves and helped him settle in to what’s been an enjoyable first few weeks – particularly with Nuno’s team winning six of their seven matches.

“The atmosphere is incredible,” he said. “I’ve been surprised in a very positive way.

“I knew the crowds here were really good from watching on television but to be in the middle of the stadium, it’s something really impressive.

“To feel the fans are with you is so important and it’s something we have home and away.

“Even when we go somewhere that’s three hours away, our part of the stand is always full and that always helps us.

“I hope this continues and that we carry on working as a team, all together.”

Eyebrows were raised when Neves, considered to be one of the hottest young properties in European football, made the switch from Porto to Championship side Wolves.

Nuno Espirito Santo and agent Jorge Mendes both played a key role in persuading Neves to join a second tier team.

But it’s clearly not something he regrets. Indeed Neves said he’s adjusted to life in England quicker than he thought he would.

“I like the city. I like the environment. It’s a calm atmosphere,” he said. “I manage to speak a bit (of English) and my team-mates keep it simple for me.

I expected it to be more difficult.

“It was the right decision for my career. I’m still a fanatical fan of Porto and I always will be but a footballer’s career is short and I have to make the most of all the opportunities that I get.

“I had the chance to come and play here, to get more minutes, something that wasn’t happening at Porto, and so it was a professional decision. (My team-mates) wished me all the luck in the world, knowing it was a real opportunity for me.

“Any player in the world would love to try out playing here.

“To have the chance to play here, even in the Championship … it’s a league with a good visibility that’s talked about all over the world.

“Pretty much any player wouldn’t think twice about it.”

Much is made of the Championship’s aggressive, fast, physical nature.

And that’s something has had to quickly adapt to. Not that he’s complaining.

“It’s a more aggressive, more physical type of football, and the big difference that I’ve noticed so far is the competitive rhythm of the game,” he said of the league.

“The first two games here were physical and fast for the whole 90 minutes.

“You’re running as much as you can for the whole game.

“That’s a huge difference with Portugal because, unfortunately, there’s a lot of time-wasting there.

“It’s quick here but wherever you play in the world, when you play at the top level, you have to make decisions quickly. So I already felt this a bit at Porto.

“Even if the opponents are a bit more aggressive, the aim is the same, which is to get the better of them so you can send the ball wherever it needs to go.”

Neves grew up at Porto, whom he joined when he was just seven years old.

Thirteen years later he departed having become the club’s youngest ever goalscorer, the youngest Porto player to play in the Champions League (breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, no less) and then becoming the youngest ever captain of any team in the Champions League, which he achieved in a group match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Neves has made no secret of his desire to one day return to Porto and win trophies. But for now he’s become a ‘fanatical’ fan again.

“I was seven-and-a-half, nearly eight when I arrived,” Neves added. “I was always a Porto fan, so they were 12 extremely big years for me.

“It was an unbelievable journey, something that I’ll never forget, and being able to go back there one day is a major aim – because, for all the personal milestones, I never achieved the major one that I wanted, which was to win the league championship there.

“I hope to go back one day and do it.

“I’m a fanatical fan. I watch all the games that I can.

“With a lot of Portuguese people here there’s always lots of opportunities to see the games.

“And because the games here normally kick off at 3pm and in Portugal we tend to play later, I’ve seen all the games so far.

“Of course, when I’m back in Portugal, I’ll go to the stadium to see the games too.”