One of Wolves’ former prospects has seen his career take an unfortunate turn since he left Molineux.
Wolves aren’t renowned for producing top talent, particularly in recent years, with Morgan Gibbs-White the last academy graduate to become a first-team regular.
There’s hope that Mateus Mane will become a regular under Vitor Pereira as the 17-year-old impressed enough to earn his Premier League debut last season.
Change is certainly needed at Molineux when it comes to promoting academy talent, with the track record of doing so not exactly sparkling.
One player who once had a bright future at Wolves was Owen Otasowie, who was handed his first-team debut by Nuno Espirito Santo in 2019.
Former Wolves talent Owen Otasowie hasn’t played in two years
It took a lot for the American to make it at Wolves, as Nuno had to steer Otasowie away from trouble, as per the player’s own admission.
Things were looking very exciting for the New York-born talent during the 2019/20 season, as he earned his first team debut in the Europa League against Besiktas.
Otasowie had spent almost two and a half years in the academy before earning his first team debut, on what was a memorable occasion for the defensive midfielder.
Just as things started to take shape for the youngster at Molineux, his decline commenced, leading him to his permanent exit in 2021, signing for Club Brugge.
Wolves cashed in on Otasowie due to his lack of application and discipline, causing him to be overreliant on his natural talent, a trait that was never going to cut it under Nuno.
It wasn’t just the end of his career at Wolves, but the end of his career in general, as after joining Brugge, the same issues followed him.
The Belgian side released Otasowie in 2023, with the midfielder having made just two senior appearances in two years.
Remarkably, the former United States international hasn’t played since, instead choosing to focus on his clothing brand, which was launched in 2021.
The talent was always there for Otasowie, but his lack of desire to improve let him down, proving that, unfortunately, the pressures of professional football are not for everyone.
Nuno Espirito Santo was a fan of Otasowie
Wolves fans loved what they saw from Otasowie, and they weren’t the only ones by any means.
The former Old Gold starlet, who is now only 24, didn’t earn six Premier League appearances and an international cap by chance, as his potential was huge.
Nuno branded Otasowie a ‘talented’ member of his squad, insisting that the youngster was indeed an option for the first team.
From a standout Premier League debut against Chelsea to no professional action for two years, the tale of Otasowie’s Wolves career is a real tragedy.