Wolves loanee Fabio Silva has shown his appreciation for former manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Nuno earned his place in Wolves’ history by building a squad that powered the Old Gold back to the Premier League.
The former Wolves manager then took his side on a European adventure, restoring the good times to Molineux before he departed in 2021.
While Nuno will forever be remembered in the West Midlands for his impact, one of the Portuguese’s decisions remains a mystery, paying a club-record fee for Fabio Silva.
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Fabio Silva praises Nuno Espirito Santo’s impact on his Wolves career
In 2020, Nuno made the decision to break Wolves’ record transfer fee to welcome Silva to Molineux as an 18-year-old from Porto.
A £30m price tag and five years later, Silva is yet to make an impact in England, having been tested under an array of managers both in the West Midlands and on loan.
The striker, who is currently on loan at UD Las Palmas, recently spoke to The Athletic about his career, where he made it abundantly clear who his favourite Wolves manager was.
“The year I spent with Nuno was really good, he was the coach who empowered me and, from the first day, he was very honest with me,” Silva said.
“He said I had to wait for my opportunity and to trust him that it was going to come. He always gave me the words to keep me happy. Sometimes, when I didn’t play, he came and spoke to me.”
Silva then said that he’s ‘happy’ to see Nuno thriving at Nottingham Forest, sending a subtle jab to those who coached him after the Portuguese at Wolves regarding his treatment.
“I give him a lot of credit as he knew I was young and away from my family in a different country. He always had that love for me so he was a special coach for me and I am happy to see him doing well. He is a very good person.”
After being snubbed by Bruno Lage and Gary O’Neil, it’s no surprise that Silva looks back at his time with Nuno as one of his highlights as a Wolves player, with his latest comments not overly surprising.
Fabio Silva’s future is far from Molineux
The forward hasn’t had an easy ride in the early stages of his career, as Silva was blasted for his loan spell at Rangers, as well as being considered far from the standard required by O’Neil.
In his interview, Silva mentioned his age with reference to his Wolves career and the failures along the way, paving a route for his long-overdue exit from the Midlands.
| Club | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Wolves | 72 | 5 | 6 |
| Anderlecht | 32 | 11 | 4 |
| Rangers | 25 | 6 | 0 |
| PSV | 19 | 5 | 2 |
| Las Palmas | 18 | 7 | 2 |
This season, Silva is thriving at Las Palmas in La Liga, leading to the Wolves loanee being linked to Atletico Madrid, which could spark the start of his career beyond being associated with the Old Gold.
Who knows what the future holds for Silva but, it’s almost certain that he will not be on Wolves’ books after the summer.