Matheus Pereira has opened up about his time with West Bromwich Albion, how he felt when he was first told about the move, what he enjoyed about his time there, and life afterwards.
The creative Brazilian arrived in the midlands in August 2019. It was one of many loans that he had gone on since graduating into Sporting Lisbon’s first team. But the amount of temporary moves that he had away from the Portuguese side was a reflection of his standing in the club.
He did have a good season with Sporting just two campaigns prior to him joining Albion on loan, but the seven goals and five assists in 27 league matches weren’t enough to convince the hierachy at the club to keep him involved, and he was shipped off to FC Nürnberg, where he was a bit of a dud signing.
Who would have thought that the young Brazilian would have found his place in the footballing world at the Hawthorns, but that’s how things fell into place. And, based on his comments, he certainly didn’t expect too much from it.
Matheus Pereira on his time with West Brom
The 27-year-old, who is now back playing in his home country for Cruzeiro, spoke to the Brazilian form of The Player’s Tribune. In his interview, he revealed how the news of yet another loan move away from Sporting crushed him.
He expressed, “They wanted to loan me. I felt crushed once again. That burden, that sensation of the world being against you, the difficulty in breathing, the certainty of being worthless.
“The accomplishments – and I had achieved many, despite everything – felt meaningless. I simply spiraled downwards. It’s futile: I’m like this person who keeps shifting from one side to the other without making progress.
He elaborated that the reason the news of another temporary move away from the Portuguese capital was so devastating was because he believed he could have a fantastic season with the club.
Pereira also opened up about his struggles with drugs and alcohol during his early days in Portugal before realizing the changes he needed to make to pursue a professional career.
The attacking midfielder admitted that, although he initially wasn’t pleased with the loan deal, he accepted it due to his dissatisfaction with his parent club.
“I ended up playing in the second division, but in England,” Pereira recounted. “My new club was West Bromwich. Although it was yet another change, and I was disenchanted with Sporting, I eagerly seized the opportunity.
“The project was highly promising – and financially rewarding as well. A clause in the contract stipulated that the club must buy me for a substantial sum if I played 30 games or if the team achieved promotion to the Premier League. Both conditions were met.
“It marked my peak in professional achievement.”
After just two seasons with the Baggies, during which he scored 19 goals and provided 22 assists in 75 league appearances, he was transferred to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, following West Brom’s relegation back to the Championship.
| Matheus Pereira’s two seasons with West Brom (league stats) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Apps | Starts | Goals | Assists | Big chances created | Key passes per game | Dribbles completed per game | |
| 2019/20 | Championship | 42 | 38 | 8 | 16 | 20 | 2.8 | 1.5 (61%) |
| 2020/21 | Premier League | 33 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 1.8 | 1.2 (54%) |
| Stats taken from Sofascore | ||||||||
Pereira discussed the challenges he faced after departing the club in 2021 for £16 million, as reported by the Birmingham Mail. The 27-year-old expressed apprehension about the impact of this significant change but acknowledged its financial benefits. After consulting with his wife, they decided to embrace the change. However, he soon experienced a resurgence of psychological struggles. He attributed these challenges not to a specific cause but to the cumulative experiences of his lifetime. He particularly missed the supportive Christian community he had in West Bromwich, which was absent in Riyadh where he relocated. Additionally, he felt a longing for his parents but struggled to reconnect with them. Eventually, he overcame this difficult period and is now content to be back in Brazil. His move to Cruzeiro is temporary through a loan agreement, with the possibility of a permanent transfer, as per Sport Witness.
Matheus Pereira is a perfect example of how circumstance is key to the success of a footballer
Unfortunately for the fans of the Baggies, the circumstances that they were under for the majority of Pereira’s time with the club meant that they couldn’t watch him live. Covid-19 restrictions meant that most of the games in the 2020/21 campaign were played behind closed doors.
For Pereira, the circumstances at the time worked out really well for him. He finally found a home in professional football, even if it was just for a brief period of his career.
His move to West Brom has ended up being a very good one for him, financially, as per his own admission, but he has seemingly come to the realisation that wages aren’t the be all and end all of life.
There was obviously a player there, but his case shows that it’s not just about talent, or even work rate, sometimes. It’s about how you feel in a place.
For that two-year period, everything clicked for him. He was happy with where he was in his life, and Albion were certainly happy to have him.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Jonathan Jonathan 
Aondofa Vershima