Emotion poured out of Wesley as he celebrated his first Premier League goal.
The striker had just got off the mark for Aston Villa, rolling the ball past Jordan Pickford and into the far corner before he celebrated passionately in front of the North Stand.
For the 23-year-old, it was the realisation of a long-held dream, and the goal stood out as his best moment in claret and blue when he spoke to VillaTV this week.
“It was my first goal in the Premier League and my first goal for Aston Villa. It was amazing. The Villa fans went crazy and it made me very, very happy,” he said.
“The Villa fans push us every game and I think if we had them in every game, I think you win every game. The Villa fans are amazing.
“When I played in Belgium, I said that I wanted to play in the Premier League. So when I scored my first goal, I was very happy.”
Wesley’s emotions ran high again in November when he received his maiden call-up to the Brazilian national team, culminating in his first cap in a friendly against Argentina.
International recognition was testament to his early season form for Villa after his summer move from Club Brugge.
He said: “Brazil v Argentina is a very tough game, so when I got my first call from the national team I was very happy because I was going to play against Lionel Messi and Argentina.
“I cried when I got the call because it was a great moment for me and my family.”
Wesley had just ended a run of 12 Premier League games without a goal when he suffered knee ligament damage against Burnley on New Year’s Day.
The striker is currently recuperating in his homeland and he’s hoping to come back bigger and better than he was before.
“It’s the first time that I’ve been seriously injured,” he said.
“It’s been very hard for me because I’d just had a great moment [against Burnley]. Now I just have to wait for my moment to come back.
“When I scored, I said to my buddy ‘now I have to continue to help my teammates’, but then I had the very bad injury. I have to continue to do my physio and come back because it’s not finished for me.”
