‘Best way to play’ – Mateus Fernandes on adjusting to Premier League and working with Russell Martin

The 20 year old joined Saints from Sporting this summer in a deal worth up to £16million, having spent last season on loan at Estoril. Fernandes revealed the biggest difference he has noticed between Portuguese and English football is the intensity. Fellow summer signing Yukinari Sugawara made a similar claim when speaking to the Daily Echo last month. In an interview on Southampton's website, Fernandes discussed his first month on the south coast. He said: “I am very happy to be here. As I said in my first interview, it’s a dream come true to play in the Premier League with good players and a good coach. Mateus Fernandes played 90 minutes for Southampton against Ipswich (Image: Richard Crease) “The intensity and the quality of all the players is different in England. The atmosphere in the stadium is very different. "The Sporting stadium is very good, but in Portugal, we don’t have many stadiums that have a great atmosphere. “In England, we have that. I’ve enjoyed every stadium. I prefer to play at our stadium. I really like the atmosphere in England. I’ve really enjoyed every minute on the pitch and I want more.” Martin heaped praise on Fernandes following his eye-catching performance in their 1-1 draw against Ipswich on the weekend. Southampton chiefs worked hard to secure a deal for the talented midfielder this summer, beating a number of other clubs to his permanent signature. Having already worked his way into the starting lineup, Fernandes is keen to work with Martin to better understand the demands of his role. He insisted Saints play football "the best way" and drew comparisons to Sporting, one of Portugal's most successful clubs. “I like the style very much. In Portugal, I played at Sporting. We had the ball a lot of the time. I want the ball and I want to score," he admitted. Mateus Fernandes grew up in Sporting's academy (Image: Richard Crease) “I want to run for the box to score. I like the coach’s style. I think it’s the best football you can play. I want to do everything. “I need to learn more about the space in the middle. English football has many spaces. It’s different to the Portuguese league. “The pitches are very good. I’m new here but the team play very well. In football, age doesn’t matter. We play and the coach likes to play young players. "It’s a long season. We want to win and play well but we want more and more. I want to learn with the coach and with my teammates. For the fans, I want to score and assist. “I want to do everything. I have really enjoyed every single minute on the pitch and outside of the pitch too." Fernandes earned his first Premier League start against Manchester United, who are captained by his idol Bruno Fernandes. He swapped shirts with his countryman and fellow former Sporting midfielder at full-time and now proudly displays it at his home. Mateus Fernandes battles countryman Diogo Dalot (Image: Stuart Martin) Asked if he was nervous to make his full Premier League debut against United, Fernandes said: “No, I just tried to enjoy the warm-up. “I played against my idol Bruno. I want to play more games like this one. In Portugal, Bruno was the best midfielder. “He played in Sporting as well. I looked up to him many times at the heart of the pitch. I learned a lot from him." Alongside adjusting to life in a new league, Fernandes is also conscious of the areas he needs to improve off the pitch. The Portuguese youth international confessed he needs to improve his English and explained that Spaniard Juan Larios is helping him do that. "At the moment, Juan Larios has helped me a lot," he detailed. "I understand that I need to learn more English. I can’t speak English very well. “I can speak better Spanish. I’m now living with him and he has helped me a lot. He’s teaching me. "I’m watching Prison Break again. It’s easier because I need to learn English. I’ve been watching it again to help my English."