The midfielder is enjoying life under new head coach Bruno Lage and put in an impressive display in the centre of the park in Wolves’ final away match of pre-season. But with two weeks to go until his side’s top-flight campaign kicks off at Leicester City, Neves knows the team are in a good place.
On getting minutes in the legs
“It’s about the pre-season – it’s hard work. Getting the fitness ready for the Premier League, that’s the main thing, getting the idea of the new coach as well, and I think we’re doing well.
“We want to improve, but we’re still doing a great job. We have two weeks, which is a good time to train and to improve, so let’s go for it.”
Ruben Neves making sure 👌 pic.twitter.com/Gf6EimzYvc
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 1, 2021
On barely having a break
“That’s true, but that’s football. When you want to play at the highest level of football, you have to be ready for it.
“You need to be ready to not have many days of holiday each season, and that’s not a problem, but it’s my job. I need to work, work hard.
“I had a great time with family, and that’s a main point for me, and now I’m completely focused on here and being ready and fit for the start of the Premier League.”
On first impressions of Lage
“Big changes. I think we’re improving a lot. He has very good ideas and I have had a very good impression of the gaffer and all the staff.
“I think we are all working together, so the players who were on the national teams are coming back a week ago, so we have been training for a week and a few days, and you can see already with the results on the pitch.
“I think you will see that we will improve a lot in the next two weeks we have in front of us, and that’s the main target for us – improve as much as we can before the first game.”
On facing Leicester in two weeks
“It’s the Premier League. Everyone knows that every team is a hard team, every game is a hard game. Leicester is in brilliant form in the last few years, so it will be a really good test for us.
“But the main thing is that we work hard in the next two weeks, get the work completely done, completely concentrate on what we have to do and get fit, so we can try to get the first three points of the season.”
On having the fans back
“It’s the main thing for us. We all wish to have the fans back in stadiums, it makes a lot of difference for us, mainly with the atmosphere that the fans can create in every stadium.
“I can’t wait. I think it will be a full stadium on the first game back in the Premier League, so it will be amazing away in Leicester.
“But then I can’t wait for the first game at home – to see Molineux full again, pushing for us and us playing for them, because we’ve missed that.”
