Emile Heskey believes Wolverhampton Wanderers will hire another Portuguese manager as Nuno Espirito Santo’s replacement with Porto boss Sergio Conceicao among the frontrunners, speaking exclusively to HITC.
After four years under Nuno, there are changes afoot at Molineux.
Exactly how much things change, however, remains to be seen.
Reports linking Wolves with a handful of Iberian tacticians – including Bruno Lage and Vitor Pereira – suggest that the Black Country side are looking to build on the foundations set by Nuno with another coach who, in theory, would be perfectly suited to a squad chock-full of Portuguese talent.
According to The Athletic, Conceicao has admirers at Molineux too.
Like Nuno, he would arrive after a spell in charge of FC Porto, having caught the eye at the Primeira Liga giants with a disciplined, organised style of play and a penchant for eking that extra five per cent out of every single player at his disposal.
Conceicao actually went one better than Nuno, guiding Porto to domestic glory in 2020.
“It’s got to be someone who fits the bill and understands the way that they play. The club has got a philosophy now, it’s built on that Portuguese way,” says Heskey, the former Aston Villa and England striker.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if (Conceicao) is at the helm.”
Conceicao, a former Portugal international who cut his coaching teeth while saving Ligue 1 outfit Nantes from relegation, is also one of the leading candidates to replace the suddenly out-of-work Gennaro Gattuso at Napoli (TMW).
But even if the tough-talking 46-year-old proves to be out of Wolves’ reach, Heskey is expecting the next man in the Molineux hotseat to speak with a distinctly Iberian twang.
“100 per cent it will be a Portuguese manager. I’m not saying English managers wouldn’t understand the Portuguese way of doing things but it makes sense to have a Portuguese manager to understand how these players play, the mentality of them,” Heskey adds.
Vitor Pereira, like Conceicao, lifted the Primeira Liga title at the helm of Porto, before securing silverware during spells in Greece, China and the Middle East.
Bruno Lage, meanwhile, has English football experience on his CV thanks to his time as a coach at Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday. Lage was also in contention to get the Aston Villa job before Dean Smith’s appointment in late-2018.
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