Rob Edwards hands Wolves youngsters an ultimatum as he keeps path to first team open

Wolves have not used the worth of their academy properly for quite some time, with Morgan Gibbs-White the last true star to come out of it.

Right now, Mateus Mane is one for the future, and the early signs point to him having a similar trajectory as Gibbs-White.

Wolves will be hoping that upwards trend remains rising at the club, and while there can be an early comparison, they’ll hope he does not follow in the midfielder’s footsteps in leaving Molineux.

The arrival of Rob Edwards has certainly helped the academy stars’ chances. Edwards had previously worked as the under-18s coach in his early coaching years, and he has a track record of bringing through young talent at previous clubs.

And now, he has issued a challenge for any young star hoping to make it into Wolves’ first team and insisted there are opportunities there to be taken.

Rob Edwards tells Wolves academy stars what they must do to break through

There is a pathway from the academy to the first team, and Mateus Mane is the shining example of what is possible.

In Wolves’ last match against Brentford, there were five academy prospects named on the bench amid injuries and suspension concerns for the club.

However, Mane was the only player to make it onto the pitch from that quintuplet, but that is still overwhelmingly positive for those young stars to gain that experience of being in a Premier League matchday squad.

When it comes to giving them chances in the first team, akin to Mateus Mane, the head coach has issued a challenge for them on how to earn it.

• READ MORE: Rob Edwards may have another gem coming through at Wolves after Mateus Mane

Edwards said (via Wolves), “There is a way through, but ultimately, they’ve got to be good enough. That is the bottom line. There will be an opportunity for them if they’ve got the right attitude and they’re good enough.

“I’d love to give young players an opportunity here; nothing would give me greater pleasure, but we’re in a competitive business, and we’ve got to try and get results as well. It’s about trying to find that balance, but if they deserve it, then they’ll get that chance.

“We’re using the lads a lot in the training, and then we’ll see if that warrants appearances in the games. But we’ll see what January brings and what we’re able to do as well and what kind of position we’re in in that medium term.”

Edwards has been using the academy players in training, with young defender Ethan Sutherland spotted with the first team prior to the Brentford clash.

And it could be something we start to see him do more often.

Wolves could see an increase in youth involvement closer to the season’s end

If relegation gets confirmed early in the New Year, Rob Edwards could opt to turn to some of the youth stars to see what they are made of.

One positive for Wolves getting relegated is that the level of the second tier may be better suited for what some of those players are currently able to do.

Getting experience in the Premier League and then being given more minutes in the Championship could see the birth of new talent coming through the Wolves academy.

It has been far too long since there was a core group of homegrown players within the Old Gold’s ranks, and Rob Edwards has the chance to change that.