Joao Virginia says his ten years spent in this country as a youngster have left him hungry to back in England as Wolves’ new goalkeeper.
The Portuguese became Wolves’ second new goalkeeper of the week on Thursday, following on from John Ruddy, but is familiar with England, having previously played for Arsenal and Everton as a youngster.
He’ll now bring competition to the goalkeeping department, and having played at Molineux before in the opposition, he’s now exited to be on the home side, representing the Old Gold.
On joining Wolves
“I’m buzzing to be here, buzzing to be part of the pack, and can't wait to get started. I've been here before, playing against Wolves, and the supporters were amazing. The city and Molineux were amazing to witness, and now being part of it, I can't wait.
“It was a quick turnaround, just a couple of days ago Mr Cesar called me and told me that he wanted me to come here, that he believed in the work that I've been doing, and the prospects that this club has and he has for me. It was a really good talk, and now that I'm here, I'm really happy that it turned out the way it did.”
On knowing the English game
“I came here when I was only 15, so I grew up playing football the way that we do in England, so I'm very used to it. I know the game pretty well here and I'm quite used to living in the UK. I'm Portuguese, but I'm used to the weather, used to the food, used to everything. I can speak English the way I do because I've been here for such a long time. So yeah, I'm pretty used to it. It's like being a home away from home.
“It isn't easy moving abroad to a different language, to a different country, and especially going into digs when I was young. It toughens you up, it makes you grow up quicker. I'm really happy that I came to England when I was younger.”
Joao Virginia’s first day at Compton 📸 pic.twitter.com/TsFqn2axZL
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 27, 2026
On being back in the Championship
“It was a long time ago. It was my first time out on loan, my first experience of senior football. It was a great experience to have at 18. I obviously grew up a lot, I don't really see myself as that goalkeeper anymore. I think I'm much more complete at the moment and to come here to help the club, the team, the supporters, I feel that the previous experience that I've had helped me a lot and I'm here now because of it.”
On facing Wolves with Reading
“I can remember we lost. John Ruddy was in goal against me. Nuno was the manager. Rui Patricio was the number one goalkeeper at the time and I got his shirt because I'm Portuguese and Rui is someone we looked up to in Portugal. It was my third professional game, so to lose on penalties was tough, but playing against a Premier League side at the time was a great experience.
“I got a very good impression [of Molineux]. The supporters were amazing, the songs, the atmosphere, I remember the fireworks on the way out. I feel like it's a good place to play, for sure, and I can't wait to get out in front of the supporters.”
On the goalkeepers pushing each other
“We work every day closely and to have a great group that pushes each other, that gets along well and helps whoever is playing at that moment, makes everyone better every day. It helps the team, it helps every goalkeeper and it's great that the environment is good.
“I'm very confident at the moment. I played a lot of games during pre-season. Last season I played in the Champions League, I played in the cups, I played in the league, and I feel like I'm growing a lot. I want to help team a lot and feel like I want to be part of the team. That's also something the manager here spoke to me about and I resonated with. I can't wait to go out there and graft.”
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