Bruno Lage: Wolves coach Tony Roberts one of the very best
Bruno Lage has heaped praise on Wolves' goalkeeping coach Tony Roberts – hailing him as one of the best in the world.
The 52-year-old, who is also the goalkeeping coach for the Wales national team, joined Wolves as part of Lage's backroom staff in the summer. The pair had previously worked together at Swansea, where Lage was assistant manager to Carlos Carvalhal.
New goalkeeper Jose Sa has impressed so far this campaign, making a number of strong saves and proving useful with his distribution – and while Lage has credited Sa for his start to life at Wolves, he also believes Roberts has played a big part in his early success.
When asked if he has been impressed with Sa, Lage said: "No, because I've known him since he was 17 and I know his value.
"I followed his career. He never worked with me at Benfica but I know what he can do.
"The other thing I know very well is the work of Tony Roberts. He is one of the best goalkeeper coaches in the world.
"The way he works, the way he gets involved in our staff. So for me, it's not a surprise.
"It's a combination between the value of Jose and John (Ruddy) – who played very well against Nottingham and Tottenham – and Tony.
"The way he works, he doesn't give rests to the boys. The way we start from the back and the way we want to play with our feet.
"The way we organise the set pieces. Every day he is in meetings and spends a lot of time in the gym.
"That's why it's a good challenge for John and Jose, to work with Tony, because for me he is one of the best goalkeeper coaches in the world."
Roberts is the only British coach from Lage's backroom staff and is often used as a communicator among the first team squad.
He also has a big presence on the touchline and helps relay instructions and when asked if having that British voice is important, Lage added: "Yes, it is important.
"I met Tony when I was at Swansea and I put in my mind that one day, if I return to the UK to work, I will invite this guy.
"I never told him anything, so for him it was a big surprise. We talked two or three times during three years and when I had the chance to come I called him and it was a big surprise for him.
"I had his name in my mind. If you look back at the period in Swansea, the stats for our goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski were very high.
"He is a top goalkeeper and he had a fantastic season, but it's the balance of two. Lukasz is a top goalkeeper but by working with Tony he improved and that's the thing I want for Jose and John."
