Rui Patricio promises maximum effort to make most of Roma chance

Rui Patricio was officially presented to the media on Friday afternoon at Trigoria, as he answered questions from the waiting journalists.

The club’s General Manager, Tiago Pinto, began by welcoming his compatriot to the Italian capital.

“It’s a pleasure to be here today,” Pinto said.

“We are here to present Rui Patricio – I don’t think I need to say much more by way of introductions. All of you know him well from the career he has had to date. Everything he has done so far speaks for itself.

"He was a great player for Sporting, which was an annoyance for me when I was working at [their rivals] Benfica, but now luckily we are at least on the same side.

“I want to thank him for choosing to be here.”

Here is everything the Portuguese goalkeeper, our first signing of the summer, then had to say about the challenge that awaits him.

Everyone knows you well and knows what you have achieved in the game; European champion with Portugal, the best goalkeeper at that tournament in France. What made you decide that Roma was the right challenge for you?

“I am very proud to have got the call from Roma, everyone knows what a great club this is. It’s a real honour to represent the club. I am here to do my best and help the side to achieve all its targets.”

When a goalkeeper comes to a club that has had problems with the position in the past, as Roma have, what does that mean for you specifically? Does it give you extra motivation, or is it a cause for concern?

“All players, not just the goalkeepers, go to a new club with expectations and a desire to make sure they live up to those expectations. I come here with the same mindset I had when I joined Wolves; I want to work hard and make sure I improve each day in training.

“Beyond that, I’ve only just joined up with the rest of the squad but I’m settling in well, I getting to grips with the way of working here. I feel good physically and I can’t wait to help the team.”

Are you able to help the team playing out from the back?

“For a goalkeeper every aspect of the game is important. Playing with the ball at your feet is part of that, but not the only part. Distributing from your hands, the positioning … the key thing is to work on it all every day. Then it is important that you understand exactly what the coach wants. The quicker you understand those instructions the better it is for the team.”

How much of a difference did the presence of Jose Mourinho make in your decision? And do you expect Serie A to be a very different league to what you are used to?

“For me it’s an honour to have chosen this club and to have a coach like Mourinho to work with. As for the other part of the question, all I can promise is that I will work as hard as I can to adjust to Italian football as quickly as possible.”

How have these first few days with the team gone?

“They’ve gone really well. I’ve been really welcomed into the group by everyone. As I’ve said already, I will try to make sure I settle in as quickly as possible.”

Can you give us an idea of some of the initial instructions you’ve received from Mourinho and his staff? And how important is communication going to be between you and your defensive line this season?

“As far as the coach’s instructions go I’ve only been here for five days so I’ve not had much of a chance to speak with him in depth. But with more time I will be able to get a better understanding of everything, including the tactics.

“Communication between the goalkeeper and the other defenders is obviously vital, of course. I’m already learning all the key words so I can strike up that understanding with the defence and help us all to do our best.”