Wolves were blessed to watch Diogo Jota torment defences across his three seasons at Molineux.
Jota was one of several quality Portuguese players who arrived during the Nuno Espirito Santo era, with the 27-year-old becoming a hero at Molineux alongside the likes of Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Rui Patricio.
From initially signing on loan in the summer of 2017 to joining permanently in January 2018, Jota helped inspire Wolves to promotion from the Championship before firing the Old Gold into Europe twice.
Having seen his reputation skyrocket in Wolverhampton, the prolific Portuguese forward was snapped up by Liverpool for £40 million in 2020 after recording 63 goal involvements in 131 appearances for Wolves.
Supporters understandably felt devastated when he leave the club and he’s since become a fan favourite at Anfield, forming a deadly front three with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz.
Wolves star Hwang Hee-chan compared to Liverpool’s Diogo Jota
Wolves found it difficult to replace Jota once he left the club as the world-class talent left a huge void that needed to be filled.
However, current player Hwang Hee-chan has been told he shares similarities to the Liverpool man, pinpointing his strength, speed, aggression and clinical finishing.
That is according to Wolves expert Liam Keen, who compared the South Korean’s attributes to Jota on the E&S Podcast.
“I think there’s a very obvious reason why lots of clubs, Marseille being one of the summer, like this footballer,” Keen said.
“And it’s not because he sells shirts in Korea, it’s because he’s a damn good player. He’s strong, he’s quick, he’s aggressive.
“In terms of a powerful runner, and we said this when he first signed, he reminds me of Diogo Jota and the way that he runs with and without the ball. obviously, Jota is a top player. I don’t think he’s quite at that level, but I do think he’s got some similarities in the way that he plays.
“And he’s a very good finisher. I think he gets into the right places at the right time. And he has had bad games and score goals.”
Hwang was wanted by Ligue 1 side Marseille in the summer but Wolves rejected a £21 million offer for one of their star attackers, who scored 12 Premier League goals last term.
Since then, Hwang has struggled for form at the beginning of this campaign and needs to quickly return to his best, and fast.
Hwang must improve to justify Jota comparison
Keen isn’t far-fetched in comparing some of Hwang’s attributes to Jota as both players are powerful, can beat defenders and finish emphatically.
Unfortunately for Wolves, O’Neil hasn’t seen enough from the South Korean international this term to warrant such praise.
In the defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea, two games Hwang started, the versatile attacker was very quiet and was dropped against Nottingham Forest as a result.
Normally one of the sharpest players on the pitch and full of energy, the former RB Leipzig man has looked fatigued at the beginning of this campaign.
However, scoring for South Korea against Oman and considering Hwang’s great record against Newcastle, perhaps there are signs he’s returning to his best.