Igor Jesus interview: The UEFA Europa League joint-top scorer on settling in at Nottingham Forest and facing Porto in the quarter-finals

A summer signing from Botafogo in his native Brazil, Igor Jesus has not found goals easy to come by in a complicated Premier League campaign for Nottingham Forest, but he has undoubtedly been their Thursday-night hero with seven in the UEFA Europa League – making him this season's joint-top scorer.

As he looks ahead to a quarter-final trip to Porto, the 25-year-old tells UEFA about his move to England, his passion for manga and the qualities that make him stand out as a player.

On his time at Forest

I'm very happy, particularly, about being in a big club, a great league, where it's very difficult. Very few players manage to get here – I am one of those few. And I prepared myself a lot so that I could have this moment, so that I'd be able to show the qualities I have and help my team-mates in the best way possible.

When I arrived, the players, everyone, treated me very well. That made me feel at home, so I think that when you are welcomed, you feel comfortable working. And I was very warmly welcomed, I kept doing my job, little by little, always being respectful, because there are great players here. And little by little I found my place.

On being Europa League joint-top scorer

I've always worked hard to be able to reach this moment. Today, being one of the top scorers is rewarding – it shows that my work has been getting results. I'd also like to thank the players who've been helping me a lot, because it's not only me – it's the whole team.

Without them, I wouldn't be able to be one of the top scorers, which I hope to continue being. Of course, God willing, getting to the final and winning the Europa League would be a dream come true, especially as the top scorer.

On his childhood passion for manga

Since I was a child, I've always liked Dragon Ball. Any time I had the opportunity, together with my cousin, who's also always liked it, we'd watch it. And from the moment I was at Botafogo, I started scoring goals.

Since I really liked the character of Goku, I started celebrating by doing a Kamehameha. So I hope I can continue doing it. I believe that people have also been enjoying it. Every time the children see me, they do it.

Igor Jesus celebrates a goal for Botafogo, Kamehameha styleGetty Images

On his qualities as a player

I'm a very versatile player. Even though I play as a striker, I don't like just standing still. I like to get involved in the play as well. Sometimes the manager asks me to stay more central and hold my position, but I get a bit frustrated because I don't get on the ball as much. I prefer to move around more and offer options so I can be involved in the game.

To be honest, as a striker it's hard to stay patient. Sometimes you can go 20 or 30 minutes without even touching the ball, and then you have to be ready for that one chance and take it well to score.

On facing Porto in the last eight

Porto have got a great team. They're a team who've improved a lot. We've watched some video footage of them and they've got a lot of quality. We've also got quality. We know it won't be an easy game – in fact, it'll be really tough. However, we're willing to fight.

We know we've got what it takes to come away from there with a draw or win, which would be really important for us. I think we can't afford to lose that game because this would make things really hard for us.

It's feasible that they get a positive result there and then end up coming here and playing with a back five. We'll have to be on top form to break them down and get a win, but I'm convinced that we'll go into that game really focused and looking for a positive result so that we can come back here and qualify at home.

* This interview was conducted on 2 April