Sometimes young players struggle in the Premier League, but that has not been the case with Joao Gomes, who deserves a lot of praise for his strong start to the season.
Wanderers signed Gomes in January to bolster their squad in the midst of their woeful Premier League situation.
Wolves scouts spotted Gomes in Brazil and signed him from Flamengo for £15 million – but not before an attempted hijacking from Lyon.
Gomes’ position essentially forced the transfer. The 21-year-old had always supported Wolves, which endeared him to the Molineux crowd.
Julen Lopetegui made a few appearances for Gomes.
However, he was expected to be second fiddle to Mario Lemina and Ruben Neves.
Neves left Wolves in the summer, as most predicted, and Gomes did something quite bold: he seized Neves’ number eight shirt.
Given the possible weight of expectation, that may have been a risk. But, so far, Gomes has seemed at ease in it, and Wolves have a fantastic young talent on their hands…
Joao Gomes deserves credit for his strong start to the season after replacing Neves.
Gomes may not have received as much attention as other players this season.
Obviously, Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan have received a lot of attention for their heroics in the final third.
However, Gomes has been outstanding in the middle.
It’s easy to forget he’s only been in England for nine months.
He didn’t arrive with the best English – Dan Bentley recently stated that the squad is helping him improve – and the culture here is certainly quite different from that of Brazil.
But Gomes has made a strong impression in his new role as a regular starter this season.
That number eight shirt was probably heavy. After all, Neves provided fans some absolutely incredible moments while wearing it.
But Gomes doesn’t seem bothered by wearing it or being effectively Neves’ immediate replacement. He plays with a newfound confidence, and it’s clear to understand why he’s one of the squad’s most popular players with the fans.
It was a big decision for him to take that garment.
It’s only an indication of his mental state.
He is not one to back down. And it’s clear from the way he plays the game with such tenacity.
Wolves fans will be hoping that his early form continues.
Who knows, maybe he’ll one day be as beloved among Molineux fans as the previous number eight…
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