Gary O’Neil, Wolves manager, will have impressed many with his commitment to integrating youth players during preseason.
The summer break is gone for Gary O’Neil’s Wolves squad, as they begin pre-season preparations for the 2024/25 season. The Old Gold are presently in Marbella for a pre-season training camp, which will allow the manager to thoroughly analyze his players.
Last summer, O’Neil was unable to get to know his players before the start of the Premier League season, making this summer’s pre-season even more important for the manager.
Gary O’Neil impresses with his attitude to young players during Wolves preseason training.
Liam Keen, an Express and Star journalist, is now following Wolves in Marbella and documenting anything fascinating from the training camp.
The Wolves expert interviewed O’Neil’s assistant head coach Tim Jenkins for an E&S essay on Monday, highlighting the manager’s approach to assisting young players.
When asked about the academy standouts who have joined the first squad to train in Spain, Keen mentioned something he saw O’Neil do when working with midfielder Luke Rawlings.
‘During Marbella training, O’Neil encouraged Rawlings to take chances with his passing in a game environment, saying he doesn’t mind if the youngster makes mistakes.
‘Moments later, the midfielder pinged a brilliant pass out wide, and it is that fearlessness that Wolves aim to develop, while also ensuring these young talents remain patient and perform well when they return to the academy.’
It’s encouraging to hear O’Neil’s focus on the younger members of the club, who have had the opportunity to learn from the veteran players surrounding them during preseason.
Also in the column, assistant head coach Jenkins noted that there is “an understanding that it’s ok to fail” with the youth in the squad, reaffirming how
The current environment at the club is beneficial to upcoming prospects. O’Neil gave young players an opportunity last season at Wolves.
The 2023/24 season revealed many aspects of O’Neil that will encourage Wolves fans, particularly his willingness to give young players an opportunity.
Wesley Okoduwa, a highly touted defender, was named to the Premier League bench five times last season, making the matchday squad at the age of 15, demonstrating O’Neil’s readiness to test the next generation.
Last season, Leon Chiwome, Nathan Fraser, and Tawanda Chirewa were all given chances to flourish in the Premier League, indicating the manager’s approach to providing academy players exposure.
Such an approach is promising for Wolves, as there is an understanding that good academy achievements can accelerate the player’s path to the first-team squad, regardless of age.
It will be intriguing to see if the manager gives more opportunities to youth players next season, with O’Neil looking to uncover the next wave of Wolves talent.
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