Wolves defender Nelson Semedo discusses the ups and downs of his early days as a young footballer when he was trying to make his way into the game.
Who was your role model when you were growing up?
It was Ronaldinho because I used to play as a midfielder, so I guess Ronaldinho was the player who made me fall in love with football. The way he would play would give me a lot of joy and I really enjoyed watching him play. He was one of the most important players of his generation.
Did you have a mentor who helped guide you?
I can use the word ‘mentor’ to describe a couple of the coaches who helped me a lot when I was coming through, but there is also my family as well, especially my parents, and then as I’ve got older, my wife, my kids and my friends. I guess all of these people have had an impact on me, they’ve inspired me in getting to where I am today. Some of them have been more important than others, but they have all had a role in my career.
What setbacks did you have to overcome?
I was quite late getting into football – I only started playing when I was 15. But the line to success isn’t straight. You’ve got to go up and down, round and around, and sometimes backwards to get to where you want to be. When I was young, I went to some clubs but I didn’t last long there, for whatever reason, but my best friend used to play for a third division club and they needed some players. His coach came to see me play just on the street where I used to play, and they gave me a contract straight away. From there, I started playing football, although it wasn’t a professional team, but then I moved to Benfica where I signed my first professional contract.
What was your biggest success as a young player?
Signing for Benfica was huge for me. I was only 17-years-old and I hadn’t played for a big team before, and when I first joined, I was in the B-team and just waiting for a chance to go to the first-team. Because of not playing football till quite late, and then being in Benfica’s B-team, I didn’t win many trophies when I was young, so the best thing I won was getting the chance to be a professional footballer, and learn technique, speed, power and smarts by playing against the older guys.
Do you have any moments you still remember from that time?
When I was growing up, football was all about having fun and enjoying myself. I wasn’t in an academy so I didn’t have the pressure that comes with that. After school I would just go out onto the streets with my friends, forget about everything and just enjoy playing football together. Those were my favourite moments.
What have you learned most between then and now?
That’s a difficult one, because for me, I’ve learned everything. It’s not just things in football that I have learned, but also learning about life because football has given me opportunities that I would never have had otherwise. But the thing I’ve learned most is how to improve my mental health.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2023/24 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
