Tribal Football

New Wolves boss Pereira: I've been trying to get here for 14 years

Paul Vegas
New Wolves boss Pereira: I've been trying to get here for 14 years
New Wolves boss Pereira: I've been trying to get here for 14 yearsAction Plus
New Wolves boss Vitor Pereira admits he's been trying to move to the Premier League for 14 years.

Pereira spoke to the media on Friday ahead of his weekend debut against Leicester City.

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"Three times with the same club," he said, after leaving Saudi club Al-Shabab.

"Everton 14 years ago before I went to Brazil, then I had another three or four meetings (in 2013). Two or three years ago, I had two or three meetings - it means it was a lot of meetings with Everton!

"The last 14 years of my career, my focus was to come to England. To compete with the best coaches, this is the seat I want to be in. I want to be in this league to compete, challenge myself and I'm ready.

"I remember the first step outside the country (Portugal) was to Saudi Arabia (Al-Ahli) 14 years ago. When I left Porto, my target was a club in England."

Pereira  said he never gave up hope of making it to the Premier League.

"No, I'm a confident guy, I believe in my work and my staff," he said. "From a young age one day I decided in my mind I'd be a coach. Afterwards, I put in my mind I would be a champion in Portugal and I was (with Porto).

"Then I wanted to be a champion in another country and the team (Olympiakos) was a champion. One day my target was England. It means when you think a lot, even if you must work, and work, and work and you must go to Brazil, to Turkey and Arabia in the end you will be there."

On Wolves, he said: "The club is open to doing it but in this moment it's important to understand the players on the pitch.

"It's important I have one week to understand what I can do with the players, to study their personality and what we need. After this we'll decide.

"It's a responsibility but a good one. In my opinion it's to give confidence to them, to guide them, like a tactical GPS, to point them in the same direction.

"It's very important to connect the tactical quality, technical quality because I like my teams to play good football but with tactical organisation and courage to play our game."