Daniel Podence pens emotional farewell message after leaving Wolves – but doesn't mention the club once in initial farewell
Daniel Podence wrote an emotional farewell on Instagram after sealing his move to Saudi Arabia, but he made no mention of Wolves in his initial farewell.
Podence got a change of Wolves to Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab for just £5m, where he joins Belgian international Yannick Carrasco and former Southampton Defender Wesley Hoedt.
The move brought Podence's four-year spell at Molineux to an end, but curiously he made no mention of the club in his farewell Instagram post.
Instead, the Portuguese winger paid tribute to Olympiacos, where he spent the 2023-24 season on loan and from there moved to Wolves in January 2020.
“Thank you, Olympiacos,” Podence wrote.
“Thank you, Greece! Thank you, President (Evangelos) Marinakis! Thank you to each and every one of you who shared the locker room with me and helped me achieve an incredible season!
“Thank you to the best fans in the world! Since the beginning of last season I wanted to be happy, to get my joy back and give it back to the club as much as possible.
“At the same time, I knew it was hard to do better than the first time, but we did it! That's what makes it so hard for me to choose a different path now.
“I was living a dream and I had to wake up in July to know that football is not just about quality and joy. It is about taking care of your family and your future.”
Podence eventually wrote a farewell message to Wolves, albeit 11 hours after his initial post.
“Thank you Wolves for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premier League,” Podence wrote on Instagram.
“It was an incredible experience that brought out the best in me as a player and as a human being. It was an honour to play in a Molineux that was always full of people and to have your support every day, regardless of whether we were winning at Old Trafford or losing at home. That's what makes you so special!”
“To the lads on the team, the kit man, the physiotherapist, the kitchen, the cleaners, the gym, all the staff I've been with… it's been a pleasure to be with you over the last four years. I wish you all the best.”
Podence finished his Wolves career with 16 goals and nine assists in 108 appearances in all competitions.
His 22-23 campaign was his most prolific, scoring six goals in 32 Premier League games.
However, Wolves' struggles in the league led Podence to look for a move elsewhere when he returned to Olympiacos last season.
The Portuguese international, who has one cap, scored 15 goals and registered 13 assists in 47 games and helped Olympiacos to their first European trophy by beating Fiorentina To claim the European Conference League.
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