Matheus Cunha is determined to make up for lost time in Wolves’ final eight matches of the season after the forward returned from injury in the closing stages of the midweek draw with Burnley.
The Brazilian has been a key part of Gary O’Neil’s side this season, who are just three points behind seventh placed West Ham United with the teams set to face off on Saturday, and Cunha has lauded the relationship he and his head coach have as he pushes to make his first start since February at Molineux this weekend.
On his recovery from injury
“It was horrible. I think for most of the athletes in the world, the hardest things are the injuries. I started to work but a hamstring injury is always very hard, it needs a lot of things that we don’t like to do, we prefer to be in the pitch and help the team, 100 per cent. But for sure, the timing of the injury was horrible.
“It was near to national team time, but it also came after a game when I scored a hat-trick against Chelsea, and then it happened in the next week, so it was very hard. But I believe these kinds of things happen for a reason and we have to accept it, work hard and then the time to enjoy is now. I feel very well and want to do everything I can to help the group.”
Back in the matchday squad ✨ pic.twitter.com/K2QHgWoyvS
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 2, 2024
On his special connection with O’Neil
“Honestly, I think my relationship with him is the best relationship I’ve had with a coach. It’s great to have this feeling with him, have this relationship, where we can be open with each other and I can call him whenever I want and tell him that I want to be played and help the team.
“But the amazing point for me is his mentality which he has given to the group. This mentality that we are all together and if we are to go forward to put the club into the best position, then everything we do needs to be together, with people who have the same passion.
“You can see when a goal is scored, even if it’s not yours, everyone is celebrating together as if they had scored, the staff as well, and it’s because of him that this group is amazing. You always want to work hard for the people who have the same mentality as you because the goal at the end of the season is very big for the club and you want to do your maximum.”
On being three points off seventh
“[Despite recent results] our season is better than what anyone expected. This is a good point to say because we’ve seen how the character of the group is big.
“We have amazing players, West Ham have amazing players, all the teams around us at the moment have amazing players and they’re all very big teams. Our group is only a small group, but you see how everyone has had an impact on helping to put the team where it is.
“To play against West Ham with this position now is amazing because at the start of this season, everybody thought we would be fighting in the same position as we were in last season, not for Europe, but if we can win on Saturday, it will put us there for this amazing end of the season – and I hope it will be, so I’m excited to come back and help these things.”
That’s 3️⃣ goals in 4️⃣ games for Rayan Ait-Nouri.
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 3, 2024
🇩🇿⚽️ pic.twitter.com/GWqpwaNSuF
On having Europe in his sights
“If we could achieve Europe at the end of the season, for me, it would be my biggest goal with one team ever.
“In the other teams that I’ve played, we always had expectations – with Atletico, I wanted to win La Liga, but we were able to put the team in the Champions League, which is the expectation of the club, with Leipzig, we put the team in the Champions League, at Hertha, the expectations were to stay in the Bundesliga and we that did, but I feel with Wolves, no-one expected these kinds of things.
“The hardest thing this season was that we lost against Coventry. This group is an amazing group and if we could have put this group at Wembley, in the semi-final of the best cup in the world, would have been incredible, so if by the end of the season we can qualify for Europe, it would show everything that we can do for this group.
“It would be reward for the hard work and how we brought everything together, everything the club does for us, and we would love to give back to the club because they give a lot of things for us, and everyone has the same mentality to put the team in Europe.”
