Jamie Redknapp has hailed Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as a “box office” star following his stunning Premier League debut.
Writing in the Daily Mail, the big-name Sky pundit and former England midfielder explained why he believes the Portugese, 21, is something special.
“He took the Championship by storm with a staggering six goals from outside the box last season,” Redknapp said. “It didn’t take Ruben Neves long to show just how deadly he is from distance, firing in a stunning free-kick for Wolves against Everton.
“Since the start of last season, Neves has scored more long-range goals than any player in the top four divisions. I can’t wait for more box-office hits.”
OPINION
Of all the Wolves players, fans would have been convinced that one in particular would have taken to the Premier League like he was born for it. Amid a blizzard of new arrivals and 2017-18 mainstays who helped the club storm the Championship, none is more important to the team’s hopes this season than Neves. The poster boy of the Nuno Espírito Santo era scored six brilliant outside-of-the-box goals last season and continued his long-range excellence with that sensational free-kick against Everton. But it is not just his special goals that mark him out as a cut above. Neves is a rolls-royce in midfield, where he appears to have more time and space than anyone else on the pitch. His arrival last summer for what was a Championship record fee of about £16million put him under the spotlight, but he was not affected in the least and was named on the three-man shortlist for the division’s player of the year, only to eventually lose out to Fulham sensation Ryan Sessegnon. Neves has made a similarly impressive start in the top flight. Expect that to be the shape of things to come for the excellent Portugese.