Wolves have arguably made their most important signing of the summer this week after Gary O’Neil penned a new deal at the Molineux side.
It looked to be another frustrating week at the club after it was reported that Pedro Neto was on the cusp of departing for Chelsea.
News has been slow within the Wolves ranks over the past month after multiple new faces joined the Molineux side earlier this summer.
However, after months of speculation, the Old Gold has now secured the future of O’Neil as he and his staff sign new deals at the club.
Gary O’Neil ‘delighted’ as he and his backroom staff sign new four-year deals at Wolves
Over the past few months, speculation over the future of O’Neil and his staff only grew.
The Wolves manager had an exceptional first season at the club guiding the Old Gold to a comfortable mid-table finish despite initial fears of relegation.
By the end of the 2023/24 campaign, it was revealed that O’Neil was to be awarded a new contract at the club for his efforts.
Now, on the eve of the new Premier League campaign, it has been revealed that the manager and his staff have all signed four-year deals.
This includes assistant head coach Tim Jenkins, first-team coaches Shaun Derry and Ian Burchnall, head of goalkeeping Neil Cutler and first-team coach analyst Woody Dewar.
Speaking on the news, O’Neil said: “I’m really pleased. Me and Matt [Hobbs] started discussing it towards the latter part of last season, but there was a lot of things going on and we thought it was best to keep ploughing on with the important stuff like the team, making sure we were in a good spot, and when the time arrived to discuss it, it was fairly straightforward from my point of view.
“I’m absolutely loving my time here, really enjoying it, my staff love it, my family love, so it’s felt a really special place for us over the past year and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey.
“I love every moment of it. It’s hard work, obviously, there’s always so much that needs doing. Me and Matt have been extremely busy over the last few weeks trying to get things in place. The good thing is here is the amount of support you get from Matt and the other guys in the training ground and offices.
“We’re doing our best to get the team in the best spot possible for next weekend. A big friendly tomorrow, which we’re looking forward to, getting back in front of the home fans and I’m delighted with the contract, so hopefully that will be replicated by the fans and we can enjoy tomorrow. The last dress rehearsal before we get ready for the Premier League.”
A great boost for Wolves fans going into the new Premier League season
Despite the brilliant football on display in their recent friendlies, there was a concern surrounding the strength of the squad.
Wolves have not replaced Max Kilman and the impending Neto departure only increased frustrations.
Yet, the most vital part of the current team is the manager who has turned many of the current squad into stars.
However, at points last season, it did not seem like his long-term future at Wolves was guaranteed, especially due to the issues that arose at the back end of the campaign.
O’Neil has now chosen to commit to the project and Wolves need to ensure that they back their manager to help his vision at the club become a reality.