If last season was about making his breakthrough at Wolves, then Mateus Mane is determined to make the 2026/27 campaign one where he helps fire the team back to the top flight.
Despite Wolves’ difficulties on the pitch during his first 12 months of senior football, it provided the young forward with an education in handling pressure and learning from difficult moments, while also discovering that he belonged on the biggest stage.
Thrown into the Premier League picture during a demanding campaign, Mane had to learn quickly.
There were nerves and plenty of pressure, but the experience he gained from his 27 Premier League appearances – which brought three goals and two assists – helped shape him both on and off the pitch.
“I definitely feel like I grew as a person,” he said. “We were in a tough situation, and coming into the team, I feel like I helped a little bit. It was really tough, but it helped me a bit mentally to see when things are not going right and when they are going right.
“I feel like it built my character and made me stronger because every game I went into, there was a lot of pressure on me, but I feel like I learnt how to ignore the pressure, play how I usually play, just express myself and forget what other people say, and just keep enjoying myself.
“I definitely have fun, because if you don’t play with a smile on your face, then you’re not enjoying yourself. I’ve always got a smile, even if things aren’t going well. You can be at a bad time, but you’ve always got to be grateful that you’re on the pitch because people dream to be in your position, so I’ll always be happy.”
Those lessons were put to the ultimate test when Mane made his first Premier League start at Anfield.
Although he had already enjoyed time in the team from the bench during the latter months of 2025 – including an assist away at the Emirates just before Christmas – the magnitude of a first start was not lost on him.
“When I saw my name and that I was starting, I was just so nervous. I called my parents and my agent and said, ‘I'm starting,’ and they were all happy for me. Obviously, I was happy, but I was really nervous as well.
“My mates didn’t believe me. They thought I was joking. But when the team sheet came out, they saw me on it and they were all so happy, sending voice messages, asking me to get them Mo Salah’s shirt and all this.
“Walking out, the Liverpool fans were singing ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ and my legs were shaking. I was like, ‘Wow, I’m actually here, playing against a big team like Liverpool.’ After a bit, the nerves all went and I was playing.
“I’d visualised all the hard work that I’d put into it to get me to that point, the sacrifices that my mum, my dad and my family’s made for me, and at that moment I felt like it had all paid off.
“Then the West Ham game happened. My goal, winning the penalty, the assist and everything that went along with it – it was probably one of the best days of my life. Scoring my first Premier League goal is a moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Mane is no longer a youngster bursting onto the scene, he's now one of the main men under Cesar Peixoto and the pressure is now on for him to deliver regularly for the gold and black.
Wolves have started life in the Championship very positively, heading into the international break off the back of a Black Country derby win, fourth in the table and just three points on top spot - with a game in hand. But the aim of Mane and the team is to make an immediate return to the top flight, although he knows how difficult a test that will be.
“I’m excited for a new challenge. I love new challenges, and I feel like this season is going to be a really big season for us Wolves players and the Wolves fans.
“Kieran Trippier, Tommy Doyle and Armstrong have all told me what it’s like to play in the Championship. They said that it’s going to be a tough season, it’s a tough league to play in, but I feel like if we just play as a team, stick together, fight for the badge and everything, we should smash the league.
“But we’ve got to be physically and mentally fit because you have games on Saturday and Tuesday, then you could have a game on Friday and you have to go again. I know I need to recover well and always take care of my body, because you don’t want to get injured when you have so many games.
“I’ve been working in the gym, on the pitch, trying to improve my physique. I also know I’m going to have to adapt my game to the Championship because I like to play on the half-turn, but I feel like I’ll probably have to release the ball a bit quicker now, because players will be tight.
“They're a lot bigger and stronger, so you’ve got to be technically good and think ahead of the play, so you’re always ready for what's going to come next.”
That is also the aim of head coach Peixito. The Portuguese made his ambitions clear straight from the off on the first day of pre-season training and continues to emphasise the mantra embedded into each day.
Mane – who was born and spent the first eight years of his life in Portugal – believes the presence of a Portuguese-speaking coaching staff has also helped him understand exactly what is expected this year.
“On the first day we came in, he had it up on the big screen in the training ground saying, ‘We will be champions this season’. I feel like that’s the mentality he's trying to get across to everyone. Every day when you come in, he wants us to just get that into our minds that we’ll be champions, and that’s what we're fighting for.
“He’s a very demanding coach. He wants his stuff to be done right, done correctly and not take any shortcuts. He’s a very good manager. He loves his tactics. Everyone’s enjoying working with him and I feel like it’ll be a very good season with him.
“He likes players that get at players one-on-one, but if he loses the ball, he’ll shout at you to react, so as long as when a player loses it, they react and win it back or fight for the team, he’ll be fine with it. But if you don’t do that, he’ll go mad.
“I feel it does help me with the coaching staff being Portuguese, they have the same background as me, and I can communicate with them in Portuguese so they can get stuff across to me better. I can also help if anything needs translating too.
“He's been talking a lot to me, saying, ‘Just play your game and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about if you make a mistake or anything, because the team will have your back and we’ll have your back’, so it’s good to hear that from the manager.”
And with confidence growing, Mane has set himself clear targets. More goals, more assists and more victories to get the Old Gold back in the Premier League at the first attempt.
“I want to score a lot more goals and get more assists this season, and definitely win more games as well, because to win the league you have to win more games and get good results.
“As a team, our aim is to win the league, for sure. That’s what we want to do. We all want to get back to the Prem, and I feel we will achieve that.”
A version of this article originally appeared in Wolves' official 2026/27 matchday programme. This season's programmes are available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
