PSG made history on Sunday night, claiming their first-ever Champions League title with a 5-0 win over Inter Milan in Munich.
The French giants were deserved winners after easily being one of the best sides of the tournament.
They edged past Liverpool on penalties in the Round of 16 and survived a fierce test from Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in the quarter-finals to progress 5-4 on aggregate.
PSG then faced Arsenal in the semis and comfortably beat them over the two legs before dismantling Inter in the final.
Former Wolves midfielder Vitinha played a key role in PSG’s success this season, establishing himself as a massive figure in Luis Enrique’s side.
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
And now, Rio Ferdinand has revealed what Vitinha had to say after leaving the Premier League club.
Wolves signed Vitinha on loan in 2020 from Porto, with an option to sign him on a permanent deal for just £17m.
However, he struggled for regular game time under Nuno Espirito Santo, playing only 511 minutes of football in the Premier League.
In 23 appearances for the club across all competitions, he managed just one goal and one assist. Wolves then decided against signing Vitinha on a permanent deal, as they thought it was too big a gamble.
Ferdinand, who spoke to Vitinha recently, revealed what the player told one of his teammates after leaving Wolves.
Speaking on TNT Sports after PSG’s win vs Inter, Ferdinand said: “I spoke to him the other day about this. When he left Wolves, he said to one of his teammates ‘I will be in one of the big clubs soon’.
“He had no doubt about it in his mind, he was supremely confident and why wouldn’t you be with the amount of talent he has.”
Indeed, one year later, he secured a £34m move to PSG, where he has established himself as one of their key players.
Vitinha compared to former Tottenham and Real Madrid star Luka Modric
Vitinha has taken his game to the next level at PSG and has earned well-deserved praise for his performances, particularly this season.
Jamie Carragher believes he has been the best central midfielder in the Champions League this season, for his solid performances in the tournament.
And Owen Hargreaves has compared his game to former Tottenham star Luka Modric. Speaking on TNT Sports, Hargreaves said:
“You know who he reminds me of? Luka Modric. And you couldn’t give him any bigger compliment in the world because he has been one of the greatest. He plays like Luka Modric. He is impossible to play against.”
His performances even saw Ian Wright urging Arsenal to sign Vitinha. But with the player enjoying his best time in Paris, it is unlikely that he will move away anytime soon.