Joe Hodge has long been viewed as a potential future star for Wolves, having starred at underage for both club and country.
The Ireland under-21 star signed for Wolves in the summer of 2021, leaving his local club Manchester City, as he looked to progress his career to become a senior footballer.
After a year with the club, Hodge made his debut against Chelsea in October 2022, going on to make six appearances for the club that season.
However, it has never panned out for the 22-year-old at Wolves, and now he is set to make the switch to Portugal to join newly promoted Tondela.
As the move progresses, the reason that alerted the Portuguese side to signing Hodge has become clear.
Tondela ‘alerted’ by Hodge’s displeasure at his perceived game time at Wolves
It has been reported in the Irish Independent that Hodge had been told by Wolves that his minutes this season would be ‘limited’.
This led to Hodge exploring his options, as he is looking to break into the Irish senior team ahead of the upcoming World Cup, having already been named in the squad on a number of occasions but not yet making his debut.
Tondela were ‘alerted’ by this aim of securing first team football by Hodge, as the club look to strengthen ahead of their season in the Portuguese top flight.
Having impressed for Huddersfield Town in League One last season, he may have believed he would be given more minutes at Wolves, yet that does not seem to be the case.
So, Hodge has explored his options, and with the prospect of playing top-flight football in Europe being offered, it will surely help his international career.
It is also being reported that the deal has a sell-on clause that Wolves could benefit from if Hodge impresses in Portugal.
Joe Hodge’s career at Wolves
The former Ireland under-21 captain has long promised to become a regular in the Wolves senior side, with every pre-season showing glimpses of why he is so highly regarded.
However, after his initial bright start at Molineux, it soon became a struggle for him to break into the side under Gary O’Neil.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes | |
| 2022/23 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 633 |
| 2023/24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| 2024/25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hodge would be loaned out at the end of the 2024 season to QPR in the Championship, before last season spending the season in League One at Huddersfield Town.
While impressing last season, it is a significant jump to the Premier League, and he may not be ready to consistently feature at that level.
There is always the possibility that he returns to Wolves in the future, especially if he impresses at Tondela; however, for now Hodge is set to embark on a fresh start in his career.