Nottingham Forest striker Igor Jesus has once again spoken about returning to Brazil one day, with fresh comments about Botafogo making it the second time in just over a week that he has publicly discussed going back to one of his former clubs.
The 25-year-old is currently enjoying his summer holiday in Brazil after an impressive first season at the City Ground.
He finished the campaign with 18 goals and five assists in 52 appearances, while also ending the Europa League as the competition’s top scorer despite Forest’s semi-final defeat to Aston Villa.
There’s nothing to suggest Igor Jesus is thinking about leaving Nottingham Forest this summer. Instead, his latest comments relayed by Bolavip give another glimpse into how he imagines the rest of his career.
Botafogo return already on his mind
Igor Jesus stopped by Botafogo this week, where he was presented with the club’s new shirt. The conversation quickly turned to the famous No.99 jersey he wore during his hugely successful spell in Rio de Janeiro.
“This number carries some weight. I’ll tell you – I tried to get No.99 over there, but the Premier League doesn’t allow it, so I ended up with No.19.”
That naturally led to the obvious question about whether he sees himself back at Botafogo in the future. His answer left little room for doubt.
“I had incredible moments wearing No.99 here at Botafogo and I hope to wear it again. God willing! It’ll happen, it’ll happen. We just need faith and patience. There’s still plenty of my career left and I hope to play for Botafogo again.”
The striker also admitted his bond with the club remains as strong as ever.
“I’m happy to see how happy the kids are. Nowadays parents send me videos of them watching my matches in England. It’s a club I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life and my career. It’s the club of my heart.”
Similar quotes only last week
The Botafogo comments weren’t an isolated case. Only last week, Igor Jesus spent part of his holiday at Coritiba, the club where his career began.
The trip was mainly for personal reasons, with the Nottingham Forest striker explaining that his wife recently gave birth in his home town, at Paraná state, and wanted to stay close to her family during the summer.
While he was there, he trained at the club’s facilities, praised the improvements Coritiba have made behind the scenes and spoke warmly about the place where it all started.
“The experiences I had at Botafogo were unique and incredible, but that will never take away the affection I have for Coritiba. Never. I recognise everything the club did for me and I’m grateful.”
He also praised the direction the club is heading.
“It all shows the club has improved a lot and that everyone there wants to take Coritiba back to the highest level. They’re on the right path and I hope they keep going.”
Taken on their own, neither visit points towards an imminent transfer. Together, though, they tell a slightly different story.
Within the space of a week, Igor Jesus has publicly spoken about returning to two different former clubs, making it clear that a move back to Brazil is already part of his long-term thinking.
Of course Igor Jesus has only just completed his first season in England and established himself as one of the club’s most important players. But after openly discussing future returns to both Coritiba and Botafogo in consecutive weeks, he’s certainly given supporters a glimpse of where he hopes his career will eventually come full circle.
