Gary O’Neil expressed his delight with Nathan Fraser after Wolves’ win over Fulham yesterday, with the striker making his first Premier League start.
Wolves are carrying several injuries at the moment, with all three attackers on the sidelines.
Matheus Cunha has been out with a hamstring injury, but could be back in a couple of weeks. Hwang Hee-chan recently sustained a hamstring injury of his own, and is out for around five weeks.
Pedro Neto played against Fulham on Saturday, but had to be withdrawn after pulling up with another hamstring injury.
So given the injuries, O’Neil finally decided to give young Nathan Fraser a chance – and the teenager gave a great account of himself…
Gary O’Neil delighted with Nathan Fraser after making first Premier League start for Wolves
Fraser had made a handful of cameo appearances prior to Saturday’s game with Fulham.
He made his debut earlier in the season against Blackpool in the Carabao Cup, and chances followed against Ipswich Town in the same competition, and then Brentford in the FA Cup.
Fraser has also had some opportunities off the bench in the Premier League against Manchester United, Brentford and Newcastle United.
But Saturday was his first start – and Fraser did well.
The 19-year-old was a good focal point, using his strength against the likes of Calvin Bassey and Tosin Adarabioyo.
He ran the channels and gave his all, and after the game, O’Neil made sure to sing his praises. He said (The Athletic): “He worked his socks off.
“He carried out our out-of-possession plan to the letter. We worked hard with him on it this week. I knew today would be tough and being solid was important. He’s also been out for some time. He suffered a hip injury early in the season and hadn’t played too much football. I’m delighted with how he did.”
Fraser can be proud of himself
It was a huge day for Fraser yesterday – and the starlet can genuinely hold his head high for his performance.
It was always going to be tough for him, but Fraser showed he can mix it at Premier League level and that he can be a first-team option going forward.
He made some really intelligent runs and put himself about, and O’Neil was clearly really happy with what he did. he tired towards the end, but the Premier League is so different from what he’s used to, and his fitness levels will improve, as will his decision-making in terms of when to expend energy and when not to.
Given the injuries Wolves have right now, Fraser could be in line for more chances and thankfully, it does seem like he has a degree of trust from the manager.