London (AFP) – Wolves on Wednesday announced the appointment of former Benfica boss Bruno Lage as the new manager of the Premier League club.

Lage replaces Nuno Espirito Santo, who left Molineux at the end of the season.

“The Portuguese joins having most recently spent 18 months at the helm of Benfica, who he led to the Primeira Liga title in his first season in management,” the club said in a statement.

Lage won the Portuguese title with Benfica in 2019 before departing in 2020 after failing to defend their crown, finishing second behind Porto.

The 45-year-old has previous experience of working in Britain in coaching roles with Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City.

“It’s a team and a club that wants to do history and a chance to compete in the Premier League,” he said. “So, I’m happy, excited, with a big ambition to do great things for this club.”

Nuno secured successive seventh-place finishes in the Premier League after promotion from the Championship in 2018 but Wolves could only manage 13th in the 2020/21 campaign.