Joel Pereira says he does not feel like a legend at Lech Poznan, even after 220 matches, four titles and a place as the second foreign player with the most appearances in the club's history. Speaking to A Bola, the right-back said the status belongs to the fans, not to him, and described himself as an important player in recent years rather than a club icon.

Pereira's own view of his status

"I do not feel like a legend. It is the fans who give those statuses and I will never call myself a legend," Pereira said. "I feel like an important player for the club in recent years, one of success."

The line fits the way he has handled the question. His numbers are hard to ignore, but he is not leaning into the mythology that often follows a long-serving foreign player at one club. Four trophies and 220 appearances would give most players a strong case for bigger language, but Pereira is drawing a clearer line himself.

The Lech context behind his best numbers

He also argues that Lech Poznan's attacking style has helped him find a higher level. Pereira said the shift from clubs where the team spent more time in the middle of the table to a side that lives in the attacking phase has allowed him to produce numbers he could not reach before.

"At Lech I found the perfect context to start producing different numbers, which until then had not appeared at this level," he said. He added that he could not have had the same assist totals at Gil Vicente because Lech do not spend most of the game defending deep.

That claim has some backing. Last season he recorded four goals and nine assists, and this season he already has three decisive passes. He has also played twice in the Champions League and once in the Europa League in 2026, so the club have used him on a bigger stage as well.

Pereira says the move to Poland has made him more experienced and a better reader of the game. He is also 30 now, which helps explain why he sounds more interested in football maturity than labels.

The Benfica fixture he mentioned is the one to watch. Pereira sees it as a benchmark for Lech and for the Polish league, and Lech are preparing for that match after winning the Super Cup in August and the title in 2025/26. The club's European test now comes against a team he described as being in a very good phase.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →