Portugal international goalkeeper Rui Patricio has signed a three-year contract with Serie A club Roma from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 33-year-old becomes new Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho’s first signing in a deal which runs until June 2024 and is worth an initial $13.5 million plus bonuses.The news comes days after Spanish goalkeeper Pau Lopez departed the Italian capital for a season-long loan at Olympique de Marseille.The recruit of Mourinho’s new club spent most of his career playing in his homeland but has recently proved himself in a much more demanding competition as he turned out for Wolves in the English Premier League. Moving to Italy will change Patricio’s surroundings significantly but will also present a new challenge.”In Jose Mourinho we are talking about one of the greatest coaches in the world and I am excited to start working with him and doing everything I can to help the team. Roma is a big club and a new challenge and I’m excited to try and help the club achieve its targets.”Patricio won the Euro 2016 with his national team (©AFP)Patricio’s footballing journey began in the youth side of hometown club Leiria e Marrazes, but it’s not in goal that young Rui first plied his trade. Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon spotted him and brought him to the capital when he was 12 years old. Patricio was given a league debut for Sporting as an 18-year-old in November 2006 and his impact was immediate, saving a penalty in a 1-0 league win. That was the first of an eventual 467 appearances in the famous green and white, where Patricio collected two Portuguese Cups, a League Cup and another pair of Super Cups in his homeland.In total, Patricio kept 182 clean sheets in Lisbon and featured in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League before moving to Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018. He quickly established himself as one of the best ‘keepers in England as Wolves first ended a Wolves’ 39-year wait for European football.New No. 1⃣ … 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 🔓 Welcome to Roma, Rui Patricio! 🇵🇹 #ASRoma | @NBFootball pic.twitter.com/otd2nDvqDc— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) July 13, 2021 Patricio has picked up a wealth of experience in his career to date: earning 97 caps for Portugal, with whom he won the 2016 European Championship, to establish himself as their most-capped goalkeeper of time.Roma general manager Tiago Pinto welcomed the addition of the former Sporting Lisbon shot-stopper.”Rui Patricio brings with him a huge amount of success with the Portuguese national team and a number of successful seasons in the Premier League in which he only underlined his quality. We are certain that our group of players will benefit from the arrival of a goalkeeper with such an array of international experience to call upon.”
