When Fábio Silva signed for Wolves in September 2020, it was clear he’d moved for a far higher amount than he probably should have.
A fee of £30m or more for the forward came as a shock, but it didn’t really hang over him as much as he perhaps insists it did.
Silva is now on his fourth loan away from Wolves, and is trying to prove himself with Las Palmas. He’s scored one goal in 350 minutes across five games for the Canary Islands club.
The 22-year-old is currently with Portugal’s U21 side. They only need another point to qualify for the age-restricted European championships and are aware they should secure that against Faroe Islands.
Mais Futebol quote Silva as saying: “We know we are superior.”
During a recent press conference announcing the senior squad, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez suggested the Wolves owned player could be one of the country’s options as a striker in the years to come.
The youngster was clearly left encouraged by Martinez’s words: “I was watching live, because I like to follow the call-ups. It was a great source of pride, of course I want to play for the first team. I’ve been involved since the under-15s and the best thing is to play there. Hearing my name mentioned by coach Roberto Martínez is a great thing. Last year I had the opportunity to train with them three times before they went to the Euros, and I felt very fulfilled, very happy.”
Asked about what he’s looking for from himself and his future goals, Silva spoke about the adversity he’s faced, and revealed his big football dream: “What I’m looking for is to continue growing and playing. The goals, assists, good performances, end up happening naturally. You can’t live obsessed with that. At my age, I’ve been through a lot of adversity and a lot of things and I deal with certain issues differently now. The day-to-day work and training are what will lead us to perfection in the game.
“Cristiano is the age he is, but he is still a role model for me. I hope he still plays many games for the national team and that I can be called up sooner, so that I can fulfil my dream of playing with him.”
Those words will go down well with the Portuguese audience.
