Exclusive interview: Fer Lopez opens up on his Wolves move and Premier League chance

Vitor Pereira was working with his side on attacking phases of play and working the ball through midfield and Lopez unleashed a trademark left-footed finish to curl the ball perfectly around some mannequins and beyond the goalkeeper.

The strike earned the attention of his team-mates during the pre-season drills in Portugal and gave us all a glimpse of why Wolves invested £19.5million in the 21-year-old.

Later that day the Spaniard sat down with the Express & Star in the team hotel on the Algarve for this exclusive interview and the new signing did not disappoint.

Cutting a confident and mature figure for his age and experience, Lopez is ready to do the business.

Wolves are working on other attacking additions and are keen not to put too much pressure on Lopez to impact the Premier League straight away, with time to adapt, but the forward has made a strong start to his life in gold and black.

"I think I've settled in quite quickly, especially with the team-mates," Lopez said.

"There are a lot of people that speak Spanish also, so I think that helped me a lot.

"The coaching staff is top, the players are top, so I'm very happy.

"It's easy. They are very good people, so it was very easy for me.

"A lot of them speak Spanish also, so it was very good to settle in."

Lopez emerged at Celta Vigo last season after previously lighting it up in their academy.

His senior debut came last October in the Copa Del Rey and in his second appearance, in early December, he scored a brace in the same competition.

His La Liga debut quickly followed and in the second half of the season he fought his way into the team - eventually making 17 top flight appearances and 20 in total over all competitions.

What follows was a lot of outside noise about his future, which can be difficult for a player of his age, but it is pressure Lopez takes in his stride.

"At the end of the season, because I always tell my agent that if the season is going, I don't want anything that is not football," Lopez said when asked when he first heard about Wolves' interest.

"When the season finishes, he keeps me up to date. When I'm playing, I want to be 100 per cent focused on football and not things outside of football. 

"It's what makes me happy and what I enjoy doing, so that's why I try to focus on it 100 per cent. 

"I always do a lot of things outside of football also, but in terms of transfers and things like that, I don't want to know until the season finishes. 

"I try to focus on the pitch when the things happen, when I enjoy playing. 

"There's a lot of things that go on behind the scenes, some are good, some are bad, but I try to keep it away from me as much as possible."

Within a matter of days Lopez was at Compton putting the finishing touches to his deal at Wolves and, around his holidays during the off season, he began hunting for a place to live and set up his new life in Wolverhampton.

Lopez will need time to adapt, but he is also familiar with England.

At 14-years-old he briefly lived and studied in Suffolk, where he continued to develop his footballing talent.

He also spent time in the Norwich academy and during this time he mastered the language, learned more about the English game and returned to Spain as a more well-rounded person and player.

"I was alone by myself and I didn't know anyone," he said

"It was a good experience.

"You're alone, you need to know how life is, it's not easy all the time. You need to adapt.

"It was a great life experience. I think that helped me in the future."

Lopez was already in the Celta Vigo academy when he came to England to hone his skills and after breaking into the first team, it was hoped he would be the heir to the throne left by club legend Iago Aspas.

Even now, when asked who the footballer was that he looked up to the most growing up, Lopez names Aspas.

The reaction from Celta Vigo fans when hearing the news of Lopez's departure was anything but positive, but it was an opportunity he could not turn down.

"It's obviously very difficult because you move away from your family, from your friends," Lopez said.

"They will also come to visit me and stuff like that, but I'm an old guy now. I have to make tough decisions and I think this one is going to be the best for me.

"It had to change. I couldn't be with them all my life, so I had to make a move and I'm very happy with it. 

"What I told you when I went to England, I grew a lot as a person. 

"Also, when I had difficulty to grow when I was little, I didn't play as much. That also helped me a lot to grow as a person, to trust in myself.

"I think everything helped me to be where I am now."

Upon his arrival at Wolves, Lopez was also greeted by a familiar face.

He is close friends with Jorgen Strand Larsen, who also made the switch to Wolves from Celta Vigo previously, and the pair were pictured on holiday together just before Lopez's move was completed.

They are as thick as thieves. Big characters with a mischievous sense of humour and a bond that clearly means a lot to Lopez, as he chuckles through questions about his 'big brother'.

Lopez said: "He always told me nice things about here, that the league was top.

"It was a great opportunity for me. He told me that I should come and he told me that he would be like a big brother for me. 

"He's a very good man and a very good player also.

"They (the squad) are top. Everything here goes much quicker than in Spain. 

"I think I have to adapt to the rhythm, to the competition.

"Everyone here is stronger, taller. In Spain, I was like top three, maybe, tallest guys in the team. Here, I think I'm not even top five.

"They are so big and so strong, but I think I will catch up to that. I just need a little bit of time, like everyone that comes to a new surrounding, a new environment. That's for me the main difference between Spain and here."

Now, it is about trying to make an impact on the best league in the world.

He will have some filling out to do, but at 6ft 2ins tall he does have some physical attributes that will suit the Premier League, as shown in his battling display in Wolves' training game against Santa Clara.

If he can compete with that physicality and allow his technical ability to shine through, then Wolves may have a player on their hands.

His left foot is dangerous, he can glide with the ball and turn defence into attack on the transition, while he fits Wolves' 5-2-3 formation.

"Maybe physically I'm going to have to adapt, but it's normal," he said.

"I think in the Premier League, there's maybe more space than La Liga to run and transition.

"I think I drive well with the ball and if I have space, I can make a good final pass or a shot or something like that.

"If we play like we are going to do, with the coach, I'm very happy with it.

"We are going to try to control the ball, so I think it will be great. 

"Maybe at the beginning, I'm going to have to adapt a little because it's not the same as Spanish football, but once I adapt, I think it will be good. 

"I like playing as a right 10 more or less. As a right advanced midfielder, for me that's my favourite position.

"I go inside with my left foot and for me that's the position I like the most. 

"I am a guy that tries to be as vertical as possible when I get the ball.

"I try to always look for the decisive pass and I also like to drive a lot with the ball. 

"I try to dribble and I am very compromised with the team also. I will fight hard for them and I will run a lot."

And that is what Wolves fans want, someone who will take pride in playing for this grand old club.

Lopez seems to understand what it means and in the modern game that can sometimes be a rarity.

The forward insists he wants to win every game and is predicting a 'great season' under Pereira, as he dreams of his first Premier League goal.

But for now his message to the Wolves fans is simple - he will fight on their behalf.

Lopez added: "We are going to do a great season for them because it's very hard for hard-working people to pay the tickets and we want to show the people that we play with pride, that the badge is the most important thing and that we are going to do a great season."