Gary O’Neil has praised one Wolves youngster as he makes a claim about first-team chances at Molineux.
The Wolves Academy has produced some real gems in the past few years, and Gary O’Neil seems to be excited about the latest crop of players.
Gary O’Neil certainly seems willing to utilise the youth in the ranks at Wolves, and now he has made a claim that prospects will always have a path to the first team under his management.
This comes as O’Neil raved about one youngster in particular who is beginning to make waves at Molineux and in training for Old Gold.
O’Neil on Wolves’ youth prospects
Speaking with Express and Star, O’Neil spoke of the importance that Wolves’ youth players have in his mind.
“It’s really important, I’ve moved quite a few of the lads up to train with us,” O’Neil said when speaking about the pathway academy players have.
“I’m keen for the academy to provide us as many good players as they can because it’s the best route, it doesn’t cost you too much. They just need to be good enough and need to be ready.”
Continuing, O’Neil name-dropped one player who has particularly caught his eye recently.
“We give them every opportunity. Tawanda has progressed really well over the last few weeks and looks comfortable now with the first team. He gets into a little scrap with a few of them now, when he wouldn’t have before, he’d have probably moved aside.
“The academy has produced some really good ones, hopefully, they can keep doing so and while I’m here they’ll have a really good pathway through to the first team.”
Lastly, O’Neil discussed the huge opportunity that Wolves’ academy prospects have had.
“Of course, the issue we’ve had around Financial Fair Play in the summer means that there wasn’t a massive influx of new players, so there’s an opportunity for the boys from the academy to have an impact.”
Who is Tawanda Chirewa?
The player O’Neil has been talking up is 20-year-old midfielder Tawanda Chirewa who Wolves signed for free in September as per Transfermarkt.
The youngster left Ipswich on a free in July, and has since joined Wolves where an instant impact has been made.
He has scored two goals in three Premier League 2 appearances while also featuring in the EFL Trophy.
Upon joining in September, Chirewa signed a four year contract which expires in June 2027, by which point he will be hoping to be a first-team regular for Wolves.