CAPS

9

24

PORTUGAL

Derby delight...Jota celebrates scoring against Everton

GOALS

60

55

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

60

55

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22

11

34

37

46

37

48

30

47

3

12

9

18

10

16

13

21

GAMES GOALS(Up to and inc. 29.04.22)

PACOS DE FERREIRA PORTO WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS LIVERPOOL

have the opportunity to work with his
old Porto boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
It turned out to be an inspired
choice of career path. In his first
season at Molineux (2017-18), he
contributed17 goals as Wolves ran
away with the Championship title.
The following campaign, he managed
a decent nine goals and five assists in
the Premier League – the highlight
being a hat-trick in a 4-3 win over
Leicester City – and journeyed
even further into the stratosphere
in 2019-20, scoring16 times in all
competitions, including nine goals in
the Europa League. All in all, three
years of outstanding work for Wolves.
Next stop Liverpool, where his star
has continued to inexorably rise.
Nuno Espirito Santo, his former
boss at Wolves, has a straightforward
explanation forJota’s emergence
as a forward of genuine top-drawer
pedigree: “Diogo loves the game,
is committed and lives for football.”
And so he should when he plays
so splendidly.