Diogo Jota: We've proved the doubters wrong at Wolves
Portuguese attacker Diogo Jota believes he and compatriot Ruben Neves have showed the doubters in their homeland they were right to join Wolves.
Jota insists ‘many people didn’t understand’ why the duo made the move to Molineux after they impressed for Porto in the Primeira Liga.
But after clinching the Championship title and turning heads in the Premier League, the 21-year-old says the ‘risk’ has well and truly paid off.
“In Portugal many people didn’t understand our move. Not just me but Neves as well, but we are here now and the people that said things now understand,” said Jota.
“Of course it was a risk because it wasn’t a shortcut to reach the Premier League, but in the end it was a good move.
“My family were always supporting me and they understand my position. They were always supportive and that is what I care about.
“Being in a different city, especially with the weather, it was a big difference between here and Porto, where I used to live.
“But in the end, we have many Portuguese here and we are always together when we can be, and that helps us to be a family.”
A big factor, of course, in Jota’s decision to sign for Wolves in the summer of 2017 was the opportunity to work under former Porto chief Nuno Espirito Santo again.
And Jota has hailed Nuno’s man-management – in good times and bad.
“He is an ambitious coach and we are ambitious players. We link well and he always gives us good advice in every moment, even at bad times he knows how to react and deal with us,” he said.
“When in a good moment he knows how to keep us going, so we have a good relationship with him.
“Even when we played at Old Trafford (and drew 1-1 with Manchester United), it is a magnificent stadium, but he passed us the message that it’s possible to win because it’s just 11 against 11, and with the international players we have, we don’t feel that pressure.
“We have players that are used to playing in those kind of grounds, so it’s a message that helped us to be confident.”
Jota is yet to score in the top flight but it is not playing on his mind too much as the team comes first.
“I’m fine at the moment because if we win, I don’t care if I score or not,” he added.
