"He's a player that I put my hopes in" - Wolves signing backed to flourish
Vitor Pereira has high hopes for Rodrigo Gomes' Wolves future but has urged the 21-year-old to improve on the ball.
The £12.7million summer signing found minutes hard to come by under Gary O'Neil, but he has been given fresh chances under Vitor Pereira with regular appearances from the bench.
Gomes has also found his position in Pereira's system, as a versatile wing-back that can play on both flanks, and the head coach expects big things from Gomes once he fixes his shortcomings.
"He's a player I like a lot," Pereira said.
"He's fast, he's committed every time, but we need to control his injury because it's not finished.
"He needs to improve some important things, especially with the ball and looking for the solutions and it's something we're working with him to fix.
"But he's a player for the future.
"For now, he's a player that's helping us. If it's five minutes, 10 minutes or 50 minutes it's the same, he comes with fire every time.
"He's a player that I put my hopes in."
"It's not only about the smile," Pereira added when asked about Gomes' character.
"When I speak about the smile, it's about the energy.
"This is the energy we need."
Wolves lack some speed in their attacking players, something Pereira is keen to fix in the summer, but Gomes' new position at wing-back has offered a new threat with his pace.
He also has good defensive instincts and Pereira is pleased with his 'profile' on and off the pitch, while admitting players that are new to the Premier League need time to adapt to their surroundings.
"He has the power to come and go, he's fast," Pereira said.
"He will come back again, because he's young and he has the profile I like.
"He's a fighter, smiling every time with good energy.
"This is the kind of player that charges me with energy.
"It takes some time to adapt to the pace of this league.
"Technically it is strong, but physically you need to be strong.
"When I played against Fluminense, Andre was a passing playmaker.
"Now, he's found the balance between the confidence to play his game and the physicality the game demands. We need time to adapt."
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