The rise of Brazilian-born Mateus Nunez is as impressive as the pastries in his family's bakery.
The 23-year-old midfielderhas signed a Wolves record after his club paid Sporting his £42million for his services to Midland Lisbon}became.
Just years ago, however, he was spotted handing out breaded sweet treats at his Pão da Vila bakery in Ericeira, near Lisbon. rice field.
It has been a wonderful journeyfor the talent from Rio who moved to Portugal with his mother and stepfather at the age of thirteen.
In his early years
{.His father was not a part of his life, and it was his mother Katya who raised him through a difficult childhood. did.
"Sometimes there was nothing to eat, but her mother never stopped working," he told the Portuguese newspaper Record last year.
"She is a warrior who instilled in me a love of football. With her I made my first touch. Without the ball, my brother and I would play with our socks."
Of his success, he revealed that his mother "even today says she doesn't know why I didn't become a thief and a drug dealer."
Moving to Portugal
Brazil With nothing in, the family left for the seaside town of Ericeira in search of a new life.
They opened the bakery Pão da Vila and helped Nunes build a football career.
"I worked at the bakeryfor about six or five months," he told his Sporting TV.
"I came in the morning and the games were played in the afternoon. I was standing for five, sometimes six hours. Training after that was not easy.
}''I didn't have a driver's license, so I got up at 5am and rode my bike to work.
Earned stripes
Learned the football trade while juggling while handing out Pastel de Feijao and joined local team Eliseirense in Nunez Portugal's lower league.
There, he learned about his role model, a maverick Brazilian soccer player who had the world at his feet.
"Ronaldinho is my idol," he said. once told Sindicato dos Jugadores.
. played.
``When he was at Barcelona, I liked Barcelona. When he was at AC Milan, I liked AC Milan. When he went to Flamengo it was incredible, fans. Collected, by the top flight of 2018 Estoril signed him up and gave him U23 football.
But teammates knew he was already destined for greater goals.
Former Estoril star Francisco Mascarenjas told Desporto ao Minuto."
Sports
Nunes' rapid rise in the game continued six months after joining Estoril.
Sporting's Lisbon signed the youngster on his five-year deal in January 2019, paying him just £500,000 for his services.
Since then, he has grown into one of the game's most coveted stars. Chelsea were reportedly interested in signing him before the Wolves swooped in.
Compared to Xavi's brilliant vision, his ability has been praised by a coach who knows the former Spanish midfielder better than anyone.
At home he suffered a 5–0 defeat when Sporting faced Manchester City in his league last season.
However, Nunes' performance stood out against Pep his Guardiola.
"Sporting are a great team. They are the champions of Portugal and have a very strong league with Porto and Benfica. They change the ball well and have fast and intelligent players. "It's time," said Guardiola.
"Mateus Nunes is one of the best players in the world today." you will lick your lips
And they might want his mother to open a new Portuguese cafe in the area to sample those pastries too.
