Vitor Pereira admits there was one clear factor as to why he chose Wolves after Gary O’Neil sacking

Wolves struck gold by recruiting Vitor Pereira mid-way through the 2024/25 campaign.

While Pereira has proven himself to be the right hire, Wolves had five other managerial candidates to replace Gary O’Neil.

Shortly after making Molineux home, Pereira made history with an unbeaten start in his first three Premier League games, overseeing wins against Leicester City, Manchester United and a draw against Spurs.

Tasked with unlocking a new level of belief in the Wolves squad inherited from O’Neil, Pereira has a remarkable job on his hands but, chances of survival are increasing as the Portuguese puts his stamp on his players.

• READ MORE: Opta predicts the chances of Wolves beating Leicester City and Ipswich Town to Premier League survival

Why Vitor Pereira chose Wolves

The battle for Premier League survival is far from over but, Wolves are showing glimpses of quality higher than the likes of Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton.

Consistency is a must if the Old Gold are to move away from the bottom three while remaining in the top flight is crucial for Pereira. 

Speaking to the media ahead of Wolves’ clash with Bournemouth, the boss revealed the primary factor as to why he left Al-Shabab to join the club in December.

“I came from Saudi Arabia to the Premier League. Do you know why? Because here, I have pressure every time but I need this pressure to be at my best level, to put me thinking how to face this team and how to face that team,” Pereira said, via Express and Star. 

The Wolves manager went on to explain to importance of increasing his individual level as a coach by testing himself against the best.

“To increase my level, I need to be here. I need to face different teams, top players. With the squad it’s also the same because if I’m in a position where I don’t have anybody and I feel comfortable, then I don’t need to fight, I don’t need to compete.”

There’s already evidence regarding how Pereira has made an impact on the squad, as Wolves’ defensive improvement has been noticed in recent weeks, something that was a plague during O’Neil’s reign.

Pereira’s managerial record before Wolves

Pereira was the right hire but, as mentioned, he wasn’t the only coach that the Old Gold looked at to replace O’Neil.

Managers with Premier League experience such as Graham Potter and David Moyes were considered but, it was Pereira who eventually took the job having never managed in England.

Before taking charge of Wolves, the 56-year-old had worked in China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Germany, Brazil and Portugal, where he coached Porto to win two league titles.

Now with the Premier League on his CV, Pereira believes he can become an even better coach based on the weekly challenges that the English top flight presents.