TERRIFIED Diego Costa admitted his free transfer to Wolves left him quaking in his boots – after handling a real pack of live WOLVES for his announcement video.
The former Chelsea striker left Atletico Mineiro in January and was without a club.
But Bruno Lage was desperate to bolster his attack after his side struggled to find the net early in the season and then new signing Sasa Kalajdzic required surgery on his ACL injury.
The latest deal was at risk of collapse when an initial request for a work permit was denied but Wolves’ appeal was successful.
And after completing his medical in the West Midlands last week, Costa is now officially a Wolves player and will wear the No29 at Molineux.
The club confirmed the deal, initially until the end of the season, with a thrilling Twitter video announcement.
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The clip showed three wolves on chains walking through a dark corridor, as the Spanish striker tried to control them from behind.
But two-time Premier League winner Costa, 33, confessed he would rather face a pack of rugged Premier League defenders as he made his return to English football.
He said: “I was scared to death. Holding that chain I kept thinking, ‘What if this wolf thinks about jumping on top of me?’ and then the three of them did.
“I was a little scared then. Those were wolves, not dogs. It was a cool experience but not a very comfortable one. I have five dogs, but they’re not wolves!”
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Now his full focus is on scoring goals for Wolves and injecting trophy-winning experience into a young, talented squad.
Costa, who will go through his own mini pre-season to get up to speed, added: “It’s a first-class club with very good players who know how to play football and having the chance to play in the Premier League again was the main thing.
“Obviously, the club influenced my decision, especially knowing I will be able to adapt a lot more easily here not only from a technical point of view, the quality of the players but also from the fact that a lot of the players are Portuguese and that will make my transition that much smoother.
“It wasn’t in the best terms possible on accounts of a player’s injury which, unfortunately, I can only wish him nothing but the best for him.
“But when Bruno Lage told me about returning to the Premier League since this a championship I have related to quite a bit, always liked it and followed.
“No matter how much I enjoyed playing in Madrid, I felt discouraged, but this motivated me. It lit that fire within me.
“I asked Bruno not to rush me into things and he was very understanding. He is a great manager and someone who has been doing a great job.
“What fans can expect from me is dedication, willingness, discipline and goals which is what I will try to bring to the team to thank for all the support and all the trust.
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“Of course, I’m happy to help [younger team-mates]. I just don’t want to be a pain. I’ll speak with someone if I notice they may need some guidance.
“I’d rather speak with someone when they’re not doing that well because I don’t see a point of offering advice if someone is doing well.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
