Leaving as a legend: João Moutinho departs Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers paid tribute to veteran Portuguese midfielder João Moutinho after it was announced he is to leave the club on a free transfer this summer.
Moutinho joined Wolves in 2018 upon their promotion to the Premier League, spending five years with the club in England’s top flight and becoming a crucial member of the team under Portuguese bosses Nuno Espírito Santo and Bruno Lage.
The 36-yearr-old has seen his role reduced under current Wolves manager Julien Lopetegui, leading to an expectation that his contract would not be renewed. Wolves confirmed Moutinho’s departure on Friday, posting a touching video on social media and emphasising the importance of the Portuguese in the club’s success over recent years.
“There might not be another player who can better epitomise the return of Premier League football to Molineux than five foot seven of football heaven himself, João Moutinho,” began a statement on the club’s website.
“Having brought class, culture and quality to the Wolves table since he first waltzed through the doors of Compton Park five years ago, it’s little surprise the Portuguese was compared to a fine wine by the adoring Molineux terraces.
“Spending the early years of the fourth decade of his life in Wolverhampton, he provided a heartbeat to a team which was in need of a been-there-done-that performer as the club looked to buck a trend which had seen them fight against relegation as soon as they were promoted in previous top-flight campaigns.
“With the signing of Moutinho, things were going to be different this time. He dictated play from the centre of the park, and much of Wolves’ success during the memorable years he donned the gold and black can be attributed to his outstanding quality.
“Seen by many supporters as one of the greatest players to ever pull on the famous old gold shirt, Moutinho is a man who has won – almost – all at domestic level and brought a new level of professionalism and optimism to the club when he signed on the dotted line in July 2018.”
Read the full tribute here: "Thank you, João"
Joao Moutinho, it's been a privilege.
— Wolves (@Wolves) June 2, 2023
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Moutinho passed the 200-appearance mark for Wolves earlier this year and sporting director Matt Hobbs added his sentiment regarding the Seleção man’s legacy at Molineux. “João’s going to go down as one of the best players to ever pull on the old gold, in my opinion,” Hobbs said. “He was an integral part of the team the entire time he was here. Our success over the last four or five years, he’s been instrumental in. So, he now departs with nothing but thanks from the football club.
“Everything he does is meticulous. He’s shown a lot of the younger players what you have to do to look after yourself and have a good career in the game. When he first came to the club, he was a big part of the culture change, because of his work ethic and how he managed himself before and after training. He definitely raised the levels and expectations amongst the players themselves.
“When he came in, we had a huge Portuguese contingent, and he was a hero to a lot of the guys for what he’d achieved in both club and international football. He just had that presence and people wanted to follow what he was he doing. We thank Joao for all he did at Wolves and wish him the best of luck for the future.”
An intriguing question now arises for fans and followers of the diminutive Portuguese: where next for one of Portugal’s most underrated players? A return home will no doubt be speculated upon, but Moutinho will have no shortage of enquiries.
By Sean Gillen