A key pillar of Vitor Pereira’s Wolves side and one of the longest-serving members of the Old Gold squad, Toti is determined to help the team progress in the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The Portuguese defender initially signed for Wolves five years ago and has steadily increased his influence on and off the pitch as he grew into a senior figure in the Molineux dressing room, so much so that he even led the team out as captain for the first time during his 100th appearance for the club against Crystal Palace last month.
But with Wolves’ 2024/25 campaign – which the defender admitted included one of the biggest mental challenges he’s faced in football – well in the rear view mirror, Toti is hoping the form the team displayed since Pereira’s arrival will be carried over to the upcoming season.
On taking positives into this season
“Last season was different because we had two managers. We started with one and finished with another one, so of course, we’ve been having our ups and downs. We didn’t start the way we wanted and although we had good ideas and everything, things were just not working.
“At some point we needed a change and it was when Vitor came in that things were starting to get better. At the end of the season, nobody expected us to be in the position that we were in – everybody was expecting us to be in a relegation fight.
“But in general, it’s not about how it started, but how it finished, and we finished much better than how we started, and hopefully we can take that form into next season.”
On mentally coping with the team’s situation
“At some point, we knew that if we didn’t change things, relegation was actually our reality at the time, and we started to be afraid. It started to affect us emotionally and it can affect you a lot.
“But at the time Vitor came, we changed our way, he started to change things and made us believe that it will still possible to change things for the better.
“Since the first game he arrived, we started to win games, and things were starting to get better and better, game by game, and with five games to go until the end of the season, everything was basically done.”
On playing every minute under Pereira
“With Vitor, I’ve been playing a lot and I’ve been enjoying it as well. I’ve been in that [left centre-back] position and we’ve been working hard trying to put the ideas that he shows at the training ground to the pitch.
“It’s always good to have some competition as well between the positions, not just at centre-back, but in the other position too. I think competition is going to make a better player. But for me, I just want to play and help the team, and if I play, I will always give my best.
“In the defence, we all understand each other well. Agba came during the season, but he quickly started doing well as well. We’ve been helping him since he arrived, we’ve been talking, we have good communication between us, so it’s been good for me and for them as well. It’s good to have some people like that who can help you and understand as well, so the defence for us is good.”
On captaining the team on his 100th Wolves appearance
“It felt like a crazy moment, but I was very proud. I still remember the first game when I arrived, I was still young and playing with Connor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly – all those players, learning with them, and now having my 100th game for Wolves and being the captain for the team, I was very proud for this moment.
“I never thought about [reaching 100 games] when I first arrived into the team. I just wanted to play games and help the team, game by game. Sometimes I was coming from the bench and I wasn’t playing that much, but my goal was always to play and help the team in each game.
“But now I’ve made my 100th game, I feel very proud, and that’s just the hard work that I’ve been doing since I arrived. Hopefully there will be more games coming for me, and I just want to keep playing and keep improving every day in this team.”
Captaining the side on his 100th Wolves appearance 👏
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 20, 2025
Congratulations, Toti! 💯 pic.twitter.com/bkEbtElXcZ
On squad changes ahead of next season
“This happens every year with every team – there’s players coming in, others leaving, but it’s always important the ones that are here to give everything for the team.
“If the new players come, we’re going to welcome them and try to help them as quick as possible so they can adapt to the Premier League and to our team.
“At the moment, we don’t want to put any goals down right now for the next season, but, for sure, we’re going to come stronger for next season and do some good things with ideas from Vitor.”
On using the summer break to recover
“Right now, everybody needs to go on holidays, relax and not think about football, because we had a tough season. Since the beginning, it’s been tough – especially mentally. It’s good for us all to go away on holidays, but as well, we’ve got to start to prepare for next season.
“We’ll all do some work during the during the off season, so we can come even back stronger for the pre-season. We want to do a better pre-season with Vitor, so we can start well in the Premier League, which is very important.”
