Loans moves provided a perfect escape for Wolves striker Fabio Silva
Fabio Silva believes his loan spell last season was crucial for his career as he prepares for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign.
After falling to score for Wolves in the whole of the 2021/22 season, Silva left for Anderlecht and then PSV last year, where he scored 16 goals for both clubs across all competitions.
In his most prolific season to date, the 21-year-old impressed as clubs across Europe watched on at his development.
After having limited chances under Bruno Lage and not finding his rhythm in the Premier League, Silva insists last season’s loans were integral to his career.
He said: “The season away was good for me because I needed it in this time in my career.
“I felt happy and needed to play. I needed to feel important, score goals and give some assists. This is why I went away for a year.
“For me, it was amazing. Both teams I played at last season was amazing, I felt very good and very proud.
“I try to continue my work every day and try to learn. I am 21 years old and have many things to learn yet. I try to do that every day. I felt amazing. I felt happy again, I needed to go out to feel the happiness again to score goals, to be important. Me and the club together found a solution and we felt the most important thing for me in my career was to go out for one year.
“That was to play, to have more minutes, to fail and to have some mistakes because at my age sometimes it is important to have mistakes but then afterwards you know you are going to play again. If you have mistakes but play again, I think this is the most important. You feel important and feel the love from your team-mates and the fans. It was very important for me to go out for one season.”
Silva arrived at Wolves in 2020 for a club record £35million deal and has always attracted attention for the huge fee placed for a teenager.
Criticism has come his way, as well as pressure to perform instantly, but the striker is now taking no notice of his detractors.
He said: “This is normal in football. This is why I think sometimes it is good for me in some ways because I came here at 18 years old, to the Premier League, the best league in the world. I hadn’t played many games in Porto either so everything was quick. I had to prove quickly to everyone.
“Everyone expects 30 goals a season! Sometimes you need time to understand the club, the team-mates, the way they play.
“Sometimes you see players who are 30 and they need time so imagine at 18 years old. But I don’t listen to those people around who don’t understand.
“They aren’t inside the dressing room or see the work I do outside the dressing room with my people. I always care how the people who love me and care about me see me. I try to be better. As for the other ones, I don’t care.”
