Wolves defender Matt Doherty is already looking ahead to pre-season after a surprising 2024/25 campaign.
Very few, including Doherty himself, would’ve expected to see the Irishman become a firm starter under Vitor Pereira.
The 33-year-old played sporadically under Gary O’Neil last season, making nine Premier League starts, a figure that has risen to 23 so far this term.
Doherty is loving life under Pereira and is relishing the campaign he’s having at Wolves, having returned to the club in the summer of 2023.
Matt Doherty’s transfer warning to his Wolves teammates
With 372 Wolves appearances and counting under his belt, Doherty is one of the most experienced members of Pereira’s squad.
Aside from his experience, the Wolves manager is squeezing the best from the veteran, who has made his role in the back three his own this season.
Though the 2024/25 calendar has been one to remember for Doherty, the Ireland international isn’t getting comfortable anytime soon, as he called for his teammates to end the year well for one pressing reason.
“I think it’s massive, it’s all about momentum, isn’t it?” Doherty said about the importance of finishing the season strongly, via Express and Star.
“The lads take momentum into internationals, take momentum into pre-season. You want to finish the season, you want to go away on holiday, feeling good about how the season finished.”
What came next could be considered a transfer warning from Doherty to his teammates, as the defender explained one repercussion of ending the Premier League schedule poorly.
“If you lose the last four games of the season, it’s not a good feeling. Also, it would get the club thinking, well, if we lose the last four, maybe they need to bring players in again.
“So it’s important for lads to finish off strong, cement their place in the team or in the squad. We finish the season how we want to start pre-season.”
While Wolves are being linked to several transfer targets, Doherty believes a strong end to the season could sway the club away from urgently seeking upgrades on the current squad.
Doherty eager to get going in pre-season
At this stage in the footballing calendar, players will have tunnel vision ahead of their summer break after a gruelling schedule.
Doherty has played over 2,000 minutes this term, but isn’t thinking about the downtime that awaits him, expressing his excitement for pre-season.
“I enjoy pre-season,” the 33-year-old said.
“You get to see your body change, you get into great condition. That’s something I’m looking forward to.”
It’s no surprise that Doherty is a model player at Wolves, with the Irishman showing no sign of slowing down at the top level.