Ruben Neves has outlined his desire to play Champions League football, leaving his Wolves future uncertain after he received a standing ovation in Saturday’s draw at Everton
- Ruben Neves has been a talismanic figure for Wolves since joining in 2017
- The midfielder is club captain but has been linked with a move this summer
- Neves admits he loves Wolves but wants to play in the Champions League
Ruben Neves has admitted he wants to play in the Champions League and faces a difficult decision over his future at Wolves.
The 26-year-old midfielder is expected to leave Molineux this summer after six years at the club.
Neves, who has made 252 appearances and scored 30 goals, was given a standing ovation and left the pitch to hug his team-mates when he came on late in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Everton.
It added to the belief that he has played his last game at Molineux and the Portugal international has ambitions.
He said: ‘I want to be here but I’ve never hidden that I want to play Champions League football. It was a difficult decision. My family and I like it here, but in football you have to make your main goals.
Ruben Neves has admitted he wants to play in the Champions League and faces a difficult decision over his future at Wolves
The midfielder has been a talismanic figure for Wolves since joining the club in 2017
‘Nothing has happened yet. If this is my last game here I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m very grateful for the last six seasons.’
Wolves were forced to settle for a draw after Yerry Mina’s leveler in the last minute of stoppage time canceled out Hwang Hee-Chan’s opener.
Referee David Coote played nine minutes of added time and Neves asked him about it.
He told the PLP: ‘All I can say is the nine minutes (of stoppage time). I asked the ref why. He said they were asked to play at exact times. I don’t know why they don’t do it all the time.
‘If you want to do it, you have to do it the whole season and not just the last two games.
‘We’ve had a few games here where they’ve (only) given four or five minutes. They say we are the Premier League, not the World Cup. Now they are trying to be the World Cup.’
Neves insists he and his family ‘love it here’ and is grateful for the last six seasons
However, Neves was unhappy with the decision to play nine minutes of added time against Everton yesterday which saw Yerry Mina equalize in the 99th minute of the 1-1 draw.
The draw leaves Everton two points above the bottom three, ahead of Leeds’ game at West Ham on Sunday.
‘We are trying to develop a mentality and I think that will show in a lot of games,’ said boss Sean Dyche.
‘Sometimes it got away from us, as well as the details, but the mentality was right and it is strong again now. The never-say-die, relentless attitude I want from my teams.
‘Players are starting to understand it and deliver it more and more. I told them at half-time “kids, big players, big performances are not always about tactics”.’
News/Image Sources: Daily Mail
