In Wolverhampton Wanderers’ illustrious 141-year history, few players have graced the Molineux turf with the quality of Ruben Diogo da Silva Neves. After becoming the youngest captain in Champions league history, aged just 18, Ruben’s departure to Championship side Wolves raised many eyebrows as well as questions of his ability to handle the ‘physicality’ of one of the toughest leagues in the world. So just how, in under 18 months, has Neves become worshipped by tens of thousands of fans and been touted with the prospect of top 6 football?

The Beginning.

Ruben Neves was born on March 13th, 1997 in Mozelos, a small town in the heart of Portugal, with a population of just 7,000. Neves’ talent shined early, and at the age of just 8 years old he entered Porto’s prestigious academy, known for producing global stars such as Pepe, Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez, not to mention countless others. Not only did he display an admirable work ethic, his ability with the ball at his feet was outstanding, with an astonishing passing range, as well as vision, technical control and shooting. This quality, recognised by current Real Madrid boss Julien Lopetegui, earned him his professional debut at just 17, in which Neves started the opening game of the 2014-15 Primeira Liga against C.S. Maritimo. A 2-0 win and stellar performance would foreground his season, as he made 37 appearances in all competitions, including 9 in Europe. At only 17, Neves was described by Portuguese news outlets as possessing incredible maturity combined with an astute positional awareness alongside fine distribution. Early comparisons to Portuguese star Joao Moutinho prompted clubs across Europe to launch bids to bring them to their respective clubs, but Porto managed to fend off interest – for a short time.

The pinnacle of Ruben Neves’ career at home club Porto came on the 20th October 2015, as he eclipsed the record of the youngest player to captain a side in the UEFA Champions league tournament, at 18 years 221 days. Despite becoming the record holder for the youngest player to hit 50 apps for Porto, Neves’ involvement in the team slowly declined, making just 18 appearances in 2016-17 and scoring one solitary goal. Neves’ lack of game time alongside financial issues at the club became a catalyst for his departure from the club he’d been spent 12 years at – his £30 million price tag being slashed to a £15 million asking price. Neves won no major honours at his time at Porto, surprising for a club of Porto’s stature. This would arguably be the hardest stage of his career, but the true test of a champion is how they come back from failure.

“One man’s loss is another man’s gain.”

In this instance, Wolverhampton Wanderers were the ones who gained. Amidst the interest from some of Europe’s most elite clubs, such as Chelsea and Juventus, Neves signed for 2nd tier side Wolves, sparking outrage from clubs across England as one of Europe’s most sought-after youngsters signed for a club who finished an underwhelming 15th place the season before. The involvement of super-agent Jorge Mendes as well as recent recruitment of Head Coach Nuno Espirito Santo undoubtedly lured Neves into becoming a key player in the Wolves project. By eclipsing club and the EFL Championship record fee, the £15.8 million acquisition of Neves piled pressure on his shoulders. Only weeks into his Wolves career, broadcasting companies infamously doubted his and other Wolves players abilities to adapt to the demands of English football. The media asked questions, and Wolves and Neves did their talking on the pitch.

Welcome to Wolves.

When Neves hobbled off the pitch just 30 minutes in against Shrewsbury Town in pre-season, fans feared the worst – many believing Wolves’ usual injury worries from previous seasons would become a problem once again. Images of Neves in a leg cast signing autographs after the game left a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans, as questions were raised to whether Neves would be fit enough to start the opening league game of the Championship against relegated Middlesbrough.

The injury was (thankfully) not as bad as first feared, and on 5th August Neves made his full Wolves debut versus Middlesbrough alongside 6 other debutants. Fans got their first real taste of the force that Wolves would become with a 1-0 win and assured performance. Team performances continued to grow, and a tough test away at relegated Hull City would really test the mentality of the team. Just 6 minutes in, a short pass from Douglas set up a shooting opportunity for Neves, from a seemingly impossible range. But the thunderbolt that Neves was to release defied any logic, as the ball rocketed into the top corner to send the away fans into hysteria. As the ball caressed into the net, Neves’ announced himself in England and opened his goalscoring account – an account which features some of the finest goals to have ever been scored by a player in old gold and black.

As Autumn struck, dips in performance led some people to believe Neves, the ‘championship inexperienced foreigner’, didn’t have the ‘bottle’ to perform regularly in championship. Upon reflection, a real low point of the season came against Sheffield United in September – which at the time was a top of the league clash. An early sending off from Conor Coady and missed penalty from Neves (1 of his only 3 touches inside the box in the entire season) compiled misery as Wolves walked away from their biggest game of the season at the time with 0 points and an uninspired performance.

But as previously mentioned, champions are judged on how they bounce back. An international break before derby day under the floodlights was a perfect opportunity for Neves and co. to show what they were made of.

“A long winter.”

One interview from early on in Neves’ Wolves career is often bypassed. A chat with Mikey Burrows before the season opener involved Neves telling fans how happy he was at the club – a quiet area where he could remain private and maintain a happy family life. Another telling quote surfaced too: “I prefer playing in the cold.” Pundits and managers alike seemingly ignored this, despite the low temperatures favouring the characteristic of Neves’ play style of persistent pressing and large passing range. A stunning home win against Aston Villa silenced critics of Wolves and Neves – well not all critics; Steve Bruce stating Wolves had a ‘long winter’ ahead. Wolves would go unbeaten for 13 games, with impeccable performances week-in-week-out from star man Neves, who dictated play consistently with pass completion rates of 90%+.

Champions.

As the Wolves train ploughed on, players rotated in and out of the team – but Neves could not be moved and continued to be the catalyst. On a special night in Cardiff for a top of the table clash, could Neves conquer previous errors and lead his team to victory?

Yes.

A goal of pure beauty proved to be the decisive goal for Wolves’ promotion to the Premier league – fitting for it to come from Neves, and of course in spectacular fashion. Rewind 15 minutes and a Ruben Neves free kick was launched over the bar, to the adulation of the home fans. But, as we now know, a champion will learn from their errors. In the 67th minute, Neves lined up another free kick from an identical position. And seconds later, 3,000 travelling fans were sent into hysteria, as a crisp strike sailed into the upper echelons of the goal to separate the two sides and all but secure Wolves promotion back to the promised land. Wolves were back – Neves was back.

“We’ve got Neves.”

I simply struggle to put the 3 seconds between 50:19-50:22 minutes against Derby County on the 11th April 2018, into words. 5 months have passed since, and I’m still just as astonished and entertained. As the ball rolls out to number 8, roughly 30 yards out, a poor touch sends the ball behind his body, seemingly ruining any scoring opportunity. We all shout “shooooot” jokingly, anticipating the ball sailing in the stands for the ball to return to play for a goal ki- GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!! I jump around in delirium in the stands, expecting to wake up from a dream. But I don’t. Neves really is superhuman. Time stood still as the ball floated into the top corner, the only way to describe the goal as ‘poetry in motion’. I’ve watched the goal a thousand times since – on twitter, on YouTube, in my head. It just gets better each time. A fitting final goal before Wolves’ promotion was confirmed by a Neil Maupay headed goal on Saturday 14th April, securing Neves’ first career trophy; undoubtedly the first of many.

In just 9 months, Neves has been the final piece in the Wolves puzzle, to awake the sleeping giant and return to the club to where it belongs. The stats don’t do him justice: 6 goals and 1 assist – but through his play style and leadership qualities Neves contributed so much more. Fans attending for decades call him the best for Wolves – and it’s hard to argue against that. He was the catalyst for one of the best seasons in the 141-year history of the club. It’s befitting that Wolves’ first premier league game in over 6 years was capped off with a Ruben Neves masterclass – a stunning goal and assist (to equal his assist tally of 2017/18) to secure Wolves’ first point of a highly anticipated season. The world will know about Ruben Neves.

The day will come when Neves departs from our club. We must appreciate what he’s already given us, the fans, and how he has helped transform our club from some dark days. He will go on to play for a bigger and better club, but he thoroughly deserves it and will receive the best wishes from every member of Wolves football club. What he has already done will be cemented in the club’s history, and that goal against Derby will never be forgotten. A dazzling career awaits.

Ruben Neves – ‘the magic man’.