Ruben Neves has bid an emotional farewell to Wolverhampton Wanderers as he gets ready to join up with his new teammates at Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder, who signed for Wolves from FC Porto in 2017 for a club-record £16 million, scored 30 goals in 253 appearances for the Premier League side.
He was a vital cog for a Wolves team that went from the Championship to Europa League in two seasons.
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But now, he will embark on a new journey in the Middle East with big spenders Al Hilal, who have been linked with moves for Bernardo Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly and Alvaro Morata this summer.
Ahead of his move to Saudi Arabia, Neves sat down with the club's media team for one last interview and well, it was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.
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As soon as the midfielder sat down, his eyes started to fill with tears. "Every single moment was unforgettable," he said. "There are no words to describe our dressing room. With a team spirit that I've never experienced before."
You can see the interview in full below:
“Everyone at Wolves would like to thank Ruben for all he has done for the club throughout his six years here," Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said after the move was confirmed.
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"Not only for his effort and commitment as a player, but also as a person off the pitch.
“Ruben is the embodiment of everything you look for when trying to bring players into a football club; a leader, a humble man and an extremely talented footballer who took Wolves to a different level.
“He was part of a great era for this club and will go down as one of our best ever players. We are grateful for everything he has done for Wolves and wish him and his family the very best for the future.”
Al Hilal soon confirmed the arrival of Neves with an announcement video on Twitter.
Neves' decision to join Al Hilal has been met with criticism, too. Former Liverpool and Spurs striker Peter Crouch says he doesn't understand the move.
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“Player-wise, you can kind of understand it. I don’t understand the 25-year-old players in their prime (going to the SPL)," he told talkSPORT.
“You’re always going to be 10 years away from any league getting started, we’ve seen this before. The only thing with the Saudi situation is (that) these boys are serious. They did it with the LIV golf, they just didn’t go away.
“I think that will probably be the case with football (too). We can’t really ignore it because it looks like it’s happening, whether we like it or not. But for players, like Neves, 26 years old to go and play in Saudi… I get it with players like (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Karim) Benzema, players who have achieved everything.
“It’s one last payday in the sunshine and you can retire. They’ve achieved everything they want in the game. But these boys at 25 and 26, they have the opportunity to go and win things. It’s about memories and legacy. They’re still going to get paid well, aren’t they?”
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Thoughts on the Neves switch? Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Ruben Neves, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Premier League, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League
Jack Kenmare