Vitória Guimarães boss Rui Borges has laughed off comments from Nottingham Forest forward Jota Silva, joking he is sucking up to his former club.
Silva has been lavishing praise on his former club in an interview with O Jogo today, who have since put his responses to the Vitória manager.
Silva joined Nottingham Forest in a €7m deal this summer after a profitable two-year spell with Vitória after joining them from Casa Pia.
He managed 20 goals and 11 assists in 83 games for the club and became a firm fan favourite because of that before getting his dream move to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.
Their affection for him is equalled in the player’s affection for the club, with him speaking highly of Vitória in his interview with O Jogo today. Indeed, he insisted he would love to return the Portuguese side at some point later in his career should he be able to.
Whether that happens remains to be seen and will be highly dependent on how he gets on at Nottingham Forest, where he is yet to fully establish himself under Nuno Espirito Santo.
And it seems Borges is taking any positive comments with a pinch of salt, albeit in a joking, friendly manner.
“Ah, he was sucking up,” O Jogo report him saying, adding that he was joking as he did so.
“We had a great friendship. I read the interview, of course I did, because it is someone who is very dear to all of us.
“I arrived at Vitória less time ago, but for the players who were already there and worked with him, he is very loved at the club, he is part of us, regardless of whether he is no longer here, but he is always with the group.
“I’m sure he’s connected to them daily. It’s good for me to also feel that, in some way, the affection was reciprocal and people somehow enjoyed working with us.”
