There might not be another player who can better epitomise the return of Premier League football to Molineux than five foot seven of football heaven himself, Joao Moutinho.
Having brought class, culture and quality to the Wolves table since he first waltzed through the doors of Compton Park five years ago, it’s little surprise the Portuguese was compared to a fine wine by the adoring Molineux terraces.
Spending the early years of the fourth decade of his life in Wolverhampton, he provided a heartbeat to a team which was in need of a been-there-done-that performer as the club looked to buck a trend which had seen them fight against relegation as soon as they were promoted in previous top-flight campaigns.
With the signing of Moutinho, things were going to be different this time. He dictated play from the centre of the park, and much of Wolves’ success during the memorable years he donned the gold and black can be attributed to his outstanding quality.
Seen by many supporters as one of the greatest players to ever pull on the famous old gold shirt, Moutinho is a man who has won – almost – all at domestic level and brought a new level of professionalism and optimism to the club when he signed on the dotted line in July 2018.
As Portugal’s second-highest appearance maker – having earned 146 international caps during an illustrious career which started out all the way back at boyhood club Sporting CP, 20 years ago – Moutinho always showed the promise which he would eventually share with the footballing world.
Growing up in the picturesque setting of the Algarve, it took a young Moutinho just 17 years to make a name for himself at Sporting, as he progressed through the club’s youth ranks to earn a place in the senior side.
Experiencing a debut season to remember in green and white, Moutinho donned the number 28 shirt previously worn by Cristiano Ronaldo as the team reached the UEFA Cup final, helped greatly by several man of the match displays against Feyenoord and Newcastle United on the way.
Moutinho tasted much success while in Lisbon, lifting a pair of Taca de Portugal titles as the second youngest captain in Sporting’s history, although his relationship with the fans soured in the summer of 2010 as he made the switch to rivals FC Porto.
But it was a move which brought the midfielder even more personal and team glory, as he claimed three successive Primera Liga titles, another Taca de Portugal, and – in his first season at the club –a UEFA Europa League trophy, as Porto overcame league rivals Braga in the final.
A move to Monaco in 2013 just continued to pad out Moutinho’s trophy cabinet, as he added further league titles to his collection, this time Ligue 1, while he maintained his place as a regular in the Portuguese national team, appearing for his country at seven major international tournaments, which included their success at Euro 2016.
Off the back of another international outing, representing Portugal at the 2018 World Cup, which saw the midfielder play three times as his country were knocked out in the last 16 to Uruguay, he secured his Premier League switch, joining several of his Os Navegadores teammates at Molineux.
And it couldn’t have gone much better.
Appearance number 200 in a Wolves shirt for @JoaoMoutinho yesterday.
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 5, 2023
🍷👏 pic.twitter.com/qwK3cOAAPw
In just his first 12 months in the Black Country, Moutinho provided Wolves with some of the greatest moments in their Premier League history.
As comfortable in himself as he has ever been and producing some of the best football of his career, Moutinho was sure to savour the special moments with Wolves.
An indispensable cog in Nuno Espirito Santo’s machine which brought European football back to the Black Country, Moutinho’s performances have been a work of art, usually alongside Ruben Neves, and when goals have arrived, they’ve exclusively been special, special strikes.
Although his quality was clear for all to see as soon as he stepped onto the Molineux pitch for his debut against Everton, it was at Old Trafford where Moutinho stood out as a different level of player – one of which had not been seen in gold and black for several decades.
Previous Wolves teams in the Premier League struggled when they took on the ‘big boys’, but when Moutinho stepped up and rocketed a stunning first goal for the club into the top corner, beyond a rooted David de Gea, supporters knew this was not going to be the same as before.
That draw continued the steady excitement of a first season back in the Premier League for Wolves. Qualification for Europe was secured later that term, but for standout games – and it’s a sentiment shared with the majority, if not all of that squad – Moutinho couldn’t look past another United clash under the Molineux lights in the FA Cup.
Nuno’s side were irresistible that night. Moutinho was irresistible that night. The greatest of performances, matched by the greatest of atmospheres.
He was an ever present throughout a 2018/19 season which included a run of three games that saw Moutinho produce five assists during the end of January, as he helped the newly-promoted club into a top seven spot and a place in the subsequent season’s Europa League.
The special nights continued into the following campaign, as Wolves returned to Europe. Moutinho hit the ground running in the Europa League, with the Portuguese earning three assists in Wolves’ opening two-legged tie against Northern Irish outfit Crusaders.
His scintillating form was also one of the reasons Wolves made it into the group stages at all, and it was a night in Turin where the realisation that the club could compete against any team in the competition set in. A hostile European atmosphere, stern Italian opposition in Torino, but a group full of characters and passion for the badge on their chests.
Moutinho would go on to assist another four goals in a campaign which saw his side reach a quarter-final of a major European competition for the first time since 1972, while Wolves would secure another seventh-place Premier League finish – this time agonisingly missing out on a return trip to Europe.
Although he suffered a blip during a Covid-hit 2020/21 season which not only affected the displays of many Wolves players, but that of its maestro, the Portuguese still managed to score his only Molineux goal. Coming against Arsenal, the finish was so special, it earned Moutinho the club’s Goal of the Season award.
Certified bagsman Joao Moutinho with a special strike against the Gunners.
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 2, 2022
📅 #OnThisDay | https://t.co/XRW3V0K31a pic.twitter.com/CVQ1yM6l0U
As the world left lockdown, he rediscovered the form which made him one of the most revered midfielders on the planet during his penultimate campaign wearing gold and black.
Last season saw improvements in the all-too important ‘W’ column, as Wolves racked up 16 wins under their belt, bettering their tally of 12 from the previous year, while matching their highest ever return of victories in the Premier League era.
Winning games was one way the club could keep Moutinho happy with life in Wolverhampton, but also it was the man himself getting on the scoresheet or setting up chances for his teammates.
For the first time since 2016/17 with Monaco, the midfielder notched twice in the same season as he gave the fans what they wanted most in his penultimate Molineux campaign, with both of his stunning strikes coming in a crazy January – which also saw Moutinho pick up the Castore Player of the Month award.
During the opening month of 2022, he helped Wolves earn their first victory at Old Trafford in over 40 years, with a clever finish, before finding the net for the final time in gold and black a matter of weeks later at Brentford.
No surprise the shot came from outside the box, but it was the link-up play with Nelson Semedo and outside-of-the-foot finish which made this arguably Moutinho’s most aesthetically pleasing finish.
And then came the most recent – and his final – campaign at Wolves.
As the team fought tooth and nail to avoid relegation having sat bottom of the top-flight table at Christmas, his influence on the pitch was limited as Julen Lopetegui relied on the tenacity of Mario Lemina in the centre of the park as the Spaniard looked for the added bite which the Gabonese international offers.
But in spite of this, Moutinho’s influence off the field never wavered as he provided an experienced head which was crucial into helping Wolves secure a sixth successive season in the top-flight for the first time since 1976.
Raising the standards on and off the pitch and taking the club to levels they would have only dreamed about just 10 years ago having suffered relegation into the third tier, Moutinho’s legacy will live on with fans who will always remember the Rolls Royce of a footballer who donned their shirt with pride.
Now his time in gold and black has come to an end, but whatever the future holds for both Wolves and Moutinho, those who have taken the magic midfielder into their hearts will always cherish those special moments – and special moments they truly were.
