Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has revealed the steps he takes to support his younger players when speaking on talkSPORT, with the likes of Joao Gomes and Pedro Neto benefitting.
Hiring Gary O’Neil was one of the smartest decisions made at Molineux in recent years, as the Englishman continues to elevate his Wolves squad.
The 40-year-old was given little time to get to know his players, being thrown into the job just five days before the 2023/24 Premier League opener.
Still, the former Bournemouth boss has managed to put his stamp on the squad he largely inherited from Julen Lopetegui, as the Old Gold sit 11 points ahead of where they were this time last campaign.
From encouraging his side to score more goals, to finding balance in the defence, things seem to be working for O’Neil at Molineux, with one focus area of his squad being the integral presence of younger talents.
What Gary O’Neil said about Joao Gomes and Pedro Neto
Three of Wolves’ star players from the XI are under 25, with Pedro Neto, Joao Gomes and Rayan Ait-Nouri all crucial to how the manager likes his side to play.
Speaking on talkSPORT today, the boss revealed some things he has implemented to support the younger players in his squad, focusing on Gomes’ development.
“I always think when I came through trying to develop as a young lad in the 21’s and the 18’s, then you come up to the first team and you’re just deemed as ready and your development and everything you were working on just stops.”
“We try and keep the development stuff going with them, Joao Gomes is doing loads of things like that because he’s still very young. We’re still trying to improve them technically.”
How important Joao Gomes is to Wolves
Aside from his match-winning brace against Spurs last time out, the Brazilian is showing week-in-week-out that he has a sparkling future ahead of him at Molineux.
When it comes to providing a combative presence in the midfield, Gomes tops the charts at Wolves, with no player averaging more tackles (3.4) per game than the 23-year-old this season, via WhoScored.
By pairing the youngster with the experience of Mario Lemina, O’Neil has found the perfect balance in the engine room, allowing both players to flex their strengths in both advanced and deep areas of play.
O’Neil is getting the best out of his side and by sharing his desire to support individual development in younger players, the youth at Wolves are in good hands.