Julen Lopetegui has praised Joe Hodge for how hard he works – but says he is currently unsure if he’ll be playing for Wolves next season.
Hodge made his first-team debut for Wolves last October.
He got his first minutes for the first-team against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, replacing Goncalo Guedes at half-time.
Interim manager Steve Davis put his faith in the youngster, who gave a really good account of himself.
A handful more opportunities followed for Hodge, who really did catch the eye in a team that was struggling.
Julen Lopetegui then came in in November.
The Spaniard immediately told Hodge that he thought he had a good game against Leeds United in the Carabao Cup.
And it’s been said a few times that Lopetegui likes the youngster.
He couldn’t really give him the minutes he would have wanted in 2023, given the big threat of relegation.
But Lopetegui does like the player, which is clear from the new comments he has made about him. He said (Express & Star): “He is a very good example as a young player, because he has worked very hard all year.
“When he’s not involved with us, he wants to be involved with the under-21s and it’s a good thing for him
“He has a very strong mentality. I like this player and I think he will develop more as a player, because he’s ready to fight and ready to stay in the bad and good moments.
“He’s a good example for the other young players here.”
That said, the manager is currently not too sure if Hodge will be in his squad for 2023/24, or whether he will head out on loan.
“We will see. I don’t know what squad we are going to have,” he added.
“I would like to answer you now, it would be very good news for me if I could answer about whether our players are going on loan or not, but I can’t.”
Joe Hodge has a big pre-season coming up – he could be a Wolves player next season if he impresses
It is very clear at this point that Lopetegui really likes Hodge. He even apaprently stopped him leaving on loan in January.
He always talks about him in a positive light and says that he works really hard.
It is understandable that his minutes dried up for Wolves after January. The arrivals of Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes meant that was always a likely outcome.
Joao Moutinho has left Wolves now, and the expectation is that Ruben Neves will also depart.
This could open to door for Hodge, but he is going to have to really impress in pre-season.
If he does that then maybe Lopetegui will keep him around for next season. Hodge becoming a genuine midfield option would certainly be most welcome given the current financial struggles.