It was in Ericeira, a coastal resort 50km north-west of Lisbon renowned as a staple on the world surfing circuit, that Matheus Nunes, Wolves’ club-record £38m signing and one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents, learned to graft. Faced with rejection in his pursuit of turning professional, an 18-year-old Nunes juggled playing for fifth-tier Ericeirense with serving pastel de nata in Pão da Vila, a local bakery.
“I was on my feet for several hours and then I would train at the end of the day,” he said three years ago. “It wasn’t easy. I had to wake up at 5am. I didn’t have a driving licence so I would cycle there, or I would have to ask someone for a lift. By the end of three or four months I was exhausted from working and playing at the same time. So nowadays I value what I have more.”
