Wolves managerial future: Who is Nuno Espirito Santo?
He's the man that's taken over at Wolves.
But who is he?
Details
Full name: Nuno Herlander Simoes Espirito Santo
Age: 43
Nationality: Portuguese
Managerial credentials
Having previously worked as a goalkeeping coach with Malaga and Panathinaikos, Nuno Began his managerial career in 2012 at Portuguese side Rio Ave.
Following on from the sacked Carlos Brito at the Estadio so Rio Ave, he helped guide the club to Europa League qualification for the first time in their history after reaching Portugal's two domestic cup finals in 2014.
In the league he guided Rio Ave to finishes of 6th and 11th.
During his time at Rio Ave, the former goalkeeper won 32 of his 79 games at the club, averaging 1.43 points per game.
Following his successes in Portugal, Nuno then headed to Spain, taking charge of Valencia in La Liga.
The step up in quality didn't faze him either, as he led the Spanish club to fourth in the league, with a memorable 2-1 win over Real Madrid the highlight of his opening campaign.
His time at the Mestalla Stadium came to an end in November 2015, as he resigned from his position following defeat to Sevilla with the team ninth in the table. He was replaced by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
Winning over half of his games in charge of the club, in his 514-day tenure he claimed three La Liga Manager of the Month awards.
His most recent job was held at Portuguese giants, Porto, as he took over from Jose Peseiro at the Estadio Do Dragao.
He guided them to the last 16 of this season’s Champions League where they were knocked out by eventual finalists Juventus and finished second in the league, six points behind Benfica.
He left the club by mutual consent following the end of the campaign - he won no silverware during his tenure with the Dragons.
Over his entire managerial career, Nuno has taken charge of 190 games, winning a grand total of 91, giving him a win percentage of 47.9% - higher than any Wolves manager in the past 50 years.
Playing career
Like former Wolves manager, Walter Zenga, Nuno was a goalkeeper during his playing days, appearing for no less than eight different clubs.
He began his career at Vitoria Guimaraes in the early nineties, before eventually moving on to Deportivo La Coruna in 1997.
Regularly playing second fiddle, he made just a handful of appearances for the club, finding first-team action on-loan for the likes of Merida and Osasuna before a move back to his native Portugal was sealed with Porto.
Working under Jose Mourinho, Nuno bagged his only career goal, scoring a last-minute penalty in a 7-0 victory over Varzim in the Taca de Portugal quarter-final.
He eventually moved on to play at Dynamo Moscow and Aves before re-joining Porto and finishing his playing career in 2010.
He was never capped at a senior level for his country, but was included in Portugal's 2008 European Championships squad as an injury replacement.
Nuno won a number of awards over his playing career - albeit mostly as a back-up, with Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup and Champions League successes to his name.
Links with Wolves
Having never played as part of an English club Nuno's knowledge of British football is unlikely to be high.
However, he has expressed a desire to manage in England. In an interview with the Guardian last year, he said:
"[England] is the league that I enjoy most. I love watching the Premier League. One day I am going to coach there, I am sure of it. I love it, I want to be there. If it takes longer, I don’t know. If it takes less, maybe. But one day."
He has played against English clubs during European competitions.
Also, a transfer involving Nuno was the first deal Jorge Mendes ever did and he remains the agent’s client - giving him a firm link with Molineux.
Given Paul Lambert's questionable future, Fosun are planning to speak to Nuno, it is believed.
Would he suit the club?
Given his lack of experience in the Championship and likely limited knowledge of the club and league - Nuno certainly wouldn't be the first name on many fans lips regarding the Wolves job.
However, as proven by Fosun's track record in hiring Zenga, it wouldn't prove a huge surprise to see his name bandied about again.
As the saga at Wolves continues, fans will simply have to wait and see if Nuno takes the reins.
