Fluminense legend backs Wolves midfielder for attacking impact
Fluminense legend Pintinho has backed Wolves midfielder Andre to make his mark further up the pitch.
The 24-year-old, who signed for Wolves from the Brazilian club last year, has gone on to impress in the Premier League despite the team's struggles at the wrong end of the table.
Fellow former Fluminense player Pintinho - who starred for them from 1972 to 1980 - believes Andre can leave his holding midfielder role behind him and start to make an impact in the final third.
He said in a recent interview about his career: "Whenever I go to Rio de Janeiro, I go to Fluminense matches, and they will gift me a shirt, and I'll get the chance to speak to my friends and the club president.
"I asked them what they thought about Andre, because I had never seen him before, but the truth is, when I finally got the chance to watch him, I really liked what I saw. I liked him a lot, because he's a player who seems like he's from my era.
"When I left Brazil for Sevilla, I started playing further forward, as opposed to a pivot, and that's where I'd like to see Andre. I'd like to see him play in a more advanced role, where he's able to put his tactical understanding and other skills to his advantage.
"I'd like to see him play a little more selfishly, for himself, because he has the ability to take on a more advanced midfield role. However, he needs to belief in himself for this to happen.
"I think he can do really well in the final third and score more goals. He knows everything about playing in front of the defence, but he should play a little further up the pitch as well, and I hope to see him play in a more attacking role one day in the future."
Pintinho also enjoyed four years at Sevilla in Spain during his career, as one of the players that swapped Brazil for European footballer.
That is much more common now - with both Andre and Joao Gomes doing well at Wolves - and Pintinho has nothing but praise for how Andre has adapted to leaving Fluminense.
Pintinho added: "One day, I was chatting to him, and told him, 'If you want to be like Pintinho, you've got to do it like this.'
"But I have a great friendship with him and know him quite well. People were saying a few years ago that he was going to be the new Pintinho, so he got a little scared when he met me because I was his idol' but I told him to relax.
"Every time I see him, he's very nice and understands a lot about football. We get a long very well, and I have a tremendous amount of love for him."
