Wolves defender Matt Doherty is loving life under Vitor Pereira however, his career at Molineux hasn’t always been this enjoyable.
Doherty has become undroppable since Pereira arrived, earning his place in the starting XI amid the Old Gold’s defensive struggles.
The Irishman returned to Molineux in the summer of 2023, just three years after his transfer to Tottenham and then, to Atletico Madrid.
Doherty certainly has a place to call home in the West Midlands, racking up 354 appearances for Wolves.
Matt Doherty reflects on Wolves career low-point
From League One to the Premier League, the right-back has experienced all walks of life at Molineux.
Doherty was dubbed a Wolves legend for his recent performances, proving that at the age of 32, he still has a lot to offer to Pereira’s project.
While the Ireland international is relishing life in the Midlands following his return, the defender admitted that one thing about his Wolves career haunts him to this day.
Previewing the Old Gold’s FA Cup clash with Bristol City, Doherty revisited the 2019 FA Cup semi-final, describing it as something he’s ‘pretty bitter’ about.
“That game is still pretty bitter. We had league games for a few weeks and I just couldn’t get it out of my head for a while,” Doherty revealed when reliving the late defeat at Wembley, via Wolves’ official website.
“I remember speaking to Coads [Conor Coady]at the time and we said how hard that hit us. At that time, whenever we went ahead, we rarely lost, and I just thought how we managed to throw that way, because it was in the bag for us.”
Wolves led the semi-final against Watford by two goals right up until the 79th minute when Gerard Deulofeu scored.
Troy Deeney then converted from the spot to force the game into extra-time where Deulofeu then scored again to win the tie, leaving Wolves hearts broken in the capital.
“Maybe it was in our heads and we were thinking about the final already, and we just switched off,” Doherty said, still hurt from the result.
“I’m still pretty bitter about it and I know my family had an unbelievable day at Wembley – obviously, apart from the result.”
Doherty still feels the magic of the FA Cup
Despite the painful defeat to Watford, Doherty’s love for the competition remains, as he emphasised the importance of Wolves performing against Bristol City.
The 32-year-old admitted that the magic of the cup is ‘definitely there’ for him because of that defeat to Watford, hinting at the desire for redemption.
“For me, it’s definitely there, maybe because I’ve had a run in it before, and we lost that game to Watford and we should have been in that final, so I know how good that felt, my whole family being there at Wembley, so I want to feel that again.”
Wolves’ FA Cup adventure begins on Saturday afternoon, as the Old Gold march to the South West for Pereira’s first taste of the magical competition.