Ruben Neves described his decision to leave Wolves almost 18 months ago as one of the toughest choices he’s ever had to make, after making his first return to Molineux at the weekend.
Currently nursing a knee injury which is set to put him out of action for Saudi side Al-Hilal until the new year, the time out allowed him and his family the chance to come back to the city which they called home for six years, while also providing a lucky omen as their visit coincided with witnessing Wolves’ first win of the Premier League season against Southampton.
Wolves.co.uk caught up with Neves on Saturday, shortly before Matheus Cunha made it 2-0 to put the result beyond doubt, as the former skipper gave his thoughts on the current situation at Molineux and whether he would consider pulling on the Old Gold once again.
On returning to Molineux
“It feels strange, to be honest. Seeing all these people and not being on the pitch is strange for me, but it's very good to be back.
“I feel very happy and my family is very happy as well, because this club means a lot to us. We're very happy that we had this welcome today.
“But it's not only about the club, it’s about the city, it’s about the friends we made here. Our kids, for example, they were born and grew up here. Our family grew up here, so Wolverhampton means a lot to us.
“It was a big opportunity for us to come back, and we are very pleased to be here and to share with all these people the love that they had for us over that six years.”
R U B E N 😍@rubendsneves_ pic.twitter.com/iS2SHmknum
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 11, 2024
On an emotional departure from Wolves
“It was very difficult – the hardest decision of my life. But I also think it was the right moment for me and for the club. The last season for me here was very hard, mentally.
“I was very tired and I remember I spoke to my wife that season, and I said that mentally it was hard for me to deal everything that happened. With coaches being sacked, then playing a few games with internal coaches, and then another coach coming in with a lot of new players, fighting for relegation – it was not a perfect season.
“For me, being captain through all of that, I felt it a lot. So, I think it was the perfect time for me and for the club, but that didn’t stop it from being a very hard decision. But this club will be always in my heart because it was six fantastic years I spent here.”
On his current life in Saudi Arabia
“It's amazing. We are loving Riyadh as well, the kids are loving it, the club is fantastic and the atmosphere at the stadium is fantastic as well.
“For me, it was not a shock [to play in that environment], because I was used to playing in Molineux, so I went from the best atmosphere in the Premier League to the best atmosphere in Asia.
“It’s been very good for me. I'm lucky to play in these kinds of atmospheres, in these kinds of environments, and we are enjoying it a lot.”
On his recovery from a knee injury
“It's good. It's not too painful at the moment, so it’s healing very well. But now I've got to focus on my on my recovery, and I hope I can be back on the pitch before January. That's what I'm working for now.”
On Wolves’ chances of staying up this season
“I'm sure of it. This game [against Southampton] is massive for the team, for the fans and for the club, because wining this game will give them the confidence that they need. Football is about confidence.
“We felt that on last season I was here. We were 10 points when we stopped for the World Cup and I remember when we came back, we won one and then two games, and we were flying. That's the secret.
“It's all about being confident when we are playing on the pitch, and with these fans, with this atmosphere at Molineux, I'm sure they will go up on the table.”
On possibly playing for Wolves again in the future
“I don't like to speak about that because life changes a lot. Of course, this is a special home for me and a special home for my family, so Wolves will always be in our minds and there will always be a chance.
“But I don't want to create expectations to anyone, because we know how football is, we don't know what will even happen tomorrow, but for sure, it's an open door for me. I believe that if I can choose, Wolves will always be one of the options, for sure – but I don't know what can happen.”
