‘I had no issues’: Ex-coach of Wolves star explains ‘insane’ side of £35m gem that O’Neil is yet to see

Wolves striker Fabio Silva is yet to make an impact at Molineux following his move from Porto back in 2020 however, his former coach Robin Veldman has hinted that the Old Gold are yet to see one side of the forward.

Wolves are enjoying a formidable season under the guidance of Gary O’Neil, with the focus firmly on the challenges ahead on the home straight of the 2023/24 campaign.

Despite the adversity that the squad faced in the summer, the Old Gold sit two points behind the European spots in the Premier League, as well as preparing for an FA Cup quarter-final this weekend.

A win against Coventry City could see O’Neil lead his side to Wembley in what would be a marvellous achievement in itself for the Englishman.

With all the excitement happening at Molineux, there has been no need for the squad to look anywhere but ahead of them however, one associate to the club has been making waves away from the Midlands.

After joining Rangers in January, Fabio Silva has made a strong impression in Scotland having netted four goals in 14 appearances.

Fabio Silva has been impressive on loan at Rangers

The Portuguese forward’s move to Glasgow marks his third loan spell since signing for Wolves back in 2020, with him yet to make an impact at Molineux when he has adorned the Old Gold.

The 21-year-old has taken his time to adapt to life at the Premier League club, highlighted by him scoring only five goals in 72 appearances, numbers that don’t quite make his £35m price tag justifiable yet.

At Rangers, the versatile attacker has shown his worth so far, playing both centrally and off the left flank in Philippe Clement’s squad, giving O’Neil something to think about when the former Porto ace returns to Wolverhampton.

The side of Fabio Silva that Wolves are yet to see
In the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, Silva failed to score in the eight Premier League appearances he was handed by O’Neil, who decided another loan spell was the best course of action for the youngster.

With the likes of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan firing under the manager’s orders, the way back may be difficult for the Rangers loanee however, one of his former coaches has hinted that there is a side to Silva that Wolves are yet to see.

Speaking to SunSport, Robin Veldman, who was part of Anderlecht’s coaching team while Silva was on loan, opened up about the “insane” side of the 21-year-old’s persona.

“Fabio is confident in what he wants and how he sees things. He can come across as cocky, but it is from a good heart and I like him very much.”

“Wolves paid massive money and his wages for his age were insane, but he had a clear idea of what he wanted.”

“I look at him now at Rangers and he is putting a lot of energy into receiving the ball in midfield and running a lot. But I only needed him in front of the goal.”

The fiery element that Veldman describes of Silva is yet to be seen at Molineux, with his approach to play under O’Neil sometimes seeming as though he is holding back.

The former Anderlecht coach added that despite him having “no issues” with the striker, there were elements to his character that he had to address.

“I had no issues with Fabio.”

“I took him off the pitch after 70 minutes — and he was furious. Fabio kicked out at a GPS responder, showing no respect to the performance staff members.”

“We had a conversation and I told him he had to show more support and respect. But Fabio accepted it and we were fine.”

The desire to play and succeed shown by the 21-year-old is something that Wolves fans are still waiting to see from the forward, who will surely soon have his future at Molineux weighed up as O’Neil prepares to assess his plans for the youngster in the summer.

Some of the elements detailed by Veldman hint at areas that the manager would like from his players, with the upcoming transfer window having the potential to be make or break for Silva.