sport news Adama Traore's pace has set pulses racing from Barcelona to Wolves 

Adama Traore's eyes flicker with fun as he tells the story of how he came to be at Barcelona and why it almost never happened.

‘We were on our holidays, I was eight at the time,’ he says, a smile spreading. ‘We went to Mali to see my family and my mum didn’t take her phone, because people from work would have been calling.

‘When we came back we saw there was a random number that had called her many times. She wondered: “Who is this person?” They called again and this voice said: “We want Adama to go to Barcelona”. She said: “Oh wow, you’re joking!”’

Adama Traore's fearsome speed he has brought variety to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves squad

Adama Traore's fearsome speed he has brought variety to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves squad

With that Adama mimics slamming down a phone. His mother, Fatoumata, had decided the prank was over. Had that been the end of the conversation he might not have gone on to play alongside Neymar in the Champions League, or now be giving an audience at Wolves’ Compton Park training ground.

Fortunately Barcelona were not deterred. ‘They called her again and said: “We’re serious, we aren’t lying”.’

Adama, now 23, would join Barcelona’s La Masia academy and stay for more than a decade, studying Lionel Messi’s workrate up close and learning life lessons from Xavi, before leaving to fulfil his ambitions for senior football.

His explanation of that episode portrays a headstrong character, which continued when he turned down more glamorous offers abroad to remain at Middlesbrough after relegation in 2017.

‘Because I was in the Championship at that time I could go to a first division somewhere,’ he says. ‘But I said no, I want to stay and get better. I want to prove to everyone in England how good I am.’

He spent a decade studying Lionel Messi’s workrate and learning life lessons from Xavi

He spent a decade studying Lionel Messi’s workrate and learning life lessons from Xavi

Adama’s form for Boro convinced Wolves to commit £18million for his signature, a club-record fee, and with his fearsome speed he has brought variety to Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad. Typically used off the bench in the Premier League as spaces open up later on, he has scored one goal, a winner at West Ham, and last Monday night set up a stoppage-time equaliser against Newcastle.

He is expected to begin today’s FA Cup tie at Bristol City and understands he has areas to improve to force his way into Nuno’s starting XI on a consistent basis. ‘I had to get to know the players and a lot of different tactics,’ he says. ‘At Middlesbrough the wingers play open, it was more counter-attack, here we play more offensively and inside. And I have been playing as a striker as well.

‘We spent a lot of time talking about which was the best position for me to be able to explode. But the important thing for me is to not just be about pace. I can do miles better with my end product. I am

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