Wolverhampton Wanderers’ signing Ruben Vinagre has scored his first goal for the club this weekend, during the 4-0 away win over Burton Albion FC.
Signed from Monaco on a loan deal, the 18-year-old has had a good start at Wolves, having already started eight games for the club so far.
The player has spoken to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo this week, and talked about the ‘dream’ he’s living for such a quick impact in the Championship.
“Honestly, I barely scored and couldn’t believe,” Vinagre told O Jogo. “It was a dream come true and I still barely realised that it’s a reality, it seems I’m still dreaming.
“I got the ball on the sideline, then I went inside and passed to Ivan, who gave it me back and dragged three defenders with him.
“I rushed towards the goal and it was very fast; when I saw the keeper in front of me, I just thought I had to score and that’s what I did.”
On his compatriot manager Nuno Espírito Santo, Vinagre said: “I’ve been here for three months and I’ve learned a lot. His stature is very good,you know that he is someone who knows a lot about football and personally he is helping me to grow as a player.
“Having several Portuguese in the squad has been an aid,” he said. “This is a top group, not only the Portuguese; we have a very good squad.”
The player has avoided talking about direct promotion to the Premier League, and wants things to go step by step: “We face all the games in order to win, that’s the manager’s message and what we’re looking for.
“Then we’ll see the final results. It’s a very competitive championship, there are no easy games and there is always a great atmosphere in the stadiums. I’m really enjoying playing here.”
Vinagre is a product of Sporting’s academy, but was sold to Monaco when he was only 16, and didn’t have any time to make a name for himself in Portugal.
Reports have claimed Wolves have an option to buy him at the end of the season, although the transfer amount is still not officially known.
That Vinagre is so happy where he is, can only help with a potential permanent move.
