Wolves striker Donovan Wilson has spoken of his delight after the club took up the decision to take out their one-year option on his existing contract.
He now hopes to build on his promising career to date with a loan spell next season.
Wilson, one of several Under-21 players to have been offered new contracts or had their options taken up, said: “I’m happy I’m going to be here for another year, after this season.
“I’m hoping to go out on loan next season to gain some experience, because I think it’s important to go out and get some first team football, so I know what it’s like.
“Hopefully it’ll be a league club, but if not then we will weigh up the options.”
Wilson joined Wolves from Bristol Rovers in 2014 on an initial loan deal, before he made the move permanent early last year.
Recalling the transfer Wilson said: “It started when the manager at Bristol Rovers told me that there’s been interest from a few different teams.
“So my agent said where do you want to go first? I said Wolves because it’s a good team and a big club.
“I was in a hotel and ended up not going back! Not long after I moved in to digs and I’ve been here ever since.”
Prior to his move to Wolves, Wilson had been in and around the Rovers first team squad, appearing on the substitutes bench for several league games.
Though he was never to make an appearance for ‘The Pirates’ he did come close on one particular occasion – only for manager Darrell Clarke to realise that he’d already made three substitutions and therefore not be able to hand him a debut!
“I was thinking there’s already been three subs,” Wilson recalls.
“But I was asked to warm-up, so I did that anyway.
“I’d been on the bench for a few games so I wanted to go on but it wasn’t to be.”
Wilson was a lot more fortunate during the club’s pre-season tour of France, where he featured as a 68th minute substitute against FC Chambly, before coming off the bench in the 71st minute against Paris F.C, to score a fine individual goal that gave Wolves a 1-0 victory.
Unsurprisingly he enjoyed his time in France, despite not being in the original touring party.
He said: “It was a great experience; I didn’t go out with them when they first went out.
“I travelled over with Harry Burgoyne, and did some training, and I was then involved in the game.
“We were drawing at the time, and my goal ended up helping us get the win so I was very happy about that.”
While in France, Wilson worked closely with the first team strikers such as Nouha Dicko, studying things such as movement, and the right time to strike at goal. It was an exercise that he found very helpful, with the advice he picked up from the senior players being taken into his own performances.
He said: “They’re really good players and when you train with them you learn a lot, even if it’s little things.
“I talk to them a lot and they tell me things like shoot more and to do this and that which has helped me a lot.
“It’s definitely a benefit as it’s making me a better player.”
Wilson has been a part of the Under 21 squad this season and was in the starting XI for last Monday night’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United at New Bucks Head.
The result was a welcome point for Scott Sellars’ side, who prior to the game had lost their last three home games in the Barclays Under 21 Premier League, though Wilson feels his team should have claimed all three points.
He said: “We had a few opportunities late on, a couple of chances from corners and if we’d taken them we’d have got the three points, we were the better team.”
