Lucas Has The Joao FactorFresh from making his senior international bow for Portugal, Lucas Joao came off of the bench against Huddersfield to bag a brace and help Wednesday come from behind to eventually win 3-1 but who is Lucas Joao and why is he seemingly in demand?Angolan by birth, Lucas Eduardo Santos Joao moved to Portugal as a teenager and began playing amateur football at Beira Mar Almada before joining Nacional de Madeira in 2011.After playing in the Nacional U19s Joao was loaned out to then third tier side, SC Mirandela, to gain some first team experience. The promising striker impressed and was thrust into the first team squad at Nacional for the 2013/14 season.Making his senior debut for the Madeirans in September 2013 from the bench against FC Arouca it wasn’t until January 2015 when the powerful forward scored his first goals in the top flight, notching a double to secure a 2-1 win against Boavista. He went on to net a further 6 goals to finish the campaign with a tally of 8 senior goals.Joao had also made a handful of appearances for the Portugal youth set up, namely the U20s and U21s, scoring 3 in 5.After Carlos Carvalhal was named Sheffield Wednesday’s new head coach on the 30th of June, Lucas Joao’s Nacional teammate Marco Matias was quickly signed by the ambitious Owls, with Joao following suit less than a month later for a fee believed to be around the 2 million pound mark.Carvalhal had expressed that if the club had failed to act now they would have missed out with European footballing powerhouses ready to step in for his signature.What makes Joao such a rare and in demand commodity is his skillset. Standing at very close to 6’4” he is an aerial threat with a decent spring. He uses his imposing frame well when he has his back to goal showing his physical strength. He also has

pace and is equally as good running at an opponent with his quick footwork as he is holding play up with his back to goal.Still only 22 years of age, with 6 goals under his belt this season, he has shown he is maturing as a footballer by getting into goalscoring positions as well as a being a natural finisher.Improving all the time and with his feet firmly on the ground, I amongst many see him as the real deal. Being capped by Portugal is a great achievement as he continues to go from strength to strength in a team that is seemingly going places.With Premier League suitors casting an eye over one of the hottest properties in The Championship, how long can The Owls hold onto their rising star?