The 17-year-old England youth international, who will return to The Dale on loan for the remainder of the season, is one of the most sought after young players in the country, but says he decided to become a Wolves player due to the first-team opportunities which have been afforded to professionals his age since the club came under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo.
On making the move to Wolves
“It’s amazing to be part of the pack. It feels incredible to have such a prestigious badge on the front of my shirt.
“Wolves is such a great club, giving constant opportunities in and around the first-team for players my age. That was something that attracted me and I’m looking forward to having that opportunity.
“The facilities are amazing, they are second-to-none. You’ve got world class pitches, coaches, facilities for anything and everything. It’s the best footballing place I’ve ever been to.
“It’s always a big factor when you can see that there are opportunities there for young players. You know, I am still 17, I’ve hopefully got a long playing career in football and hope Wolves can give me some opportunities that I can grasp in the palm of my hand.
“Regardless of if I’m playing for Rochdale or Wolves, I’ll always give 110 per cent, but I can’t wait to wear the badge for the first time in a proper game.”
On his whirlwind journey as a professional football
“I made my debut however long ago, then I made my first league start in League One, then I scored my first goal at the iconic Old Trafford, then I score my first league goal, first assist – the list goes on and on.
“Everything’s happened so quick. I would never have expected to even been playing first-team football this year, let alone to have the season that I am having.
“However, I’m happy to be a Wolves player now and continue that journey, but I’ve got to keep maintaining things that I’ve been doing that have got me here and not stop them.”
On what Wolves fans can expect
“I’m quick, I like to defend, and I like to attack. I like to make my opposition think about me, rather than me think about them. That’s an important mentality to have.
“The staff have said what they expect from me and what they want from me, and I’ve just got to make sure that I fulfil that. Opportunities will present themselves and I’m sure I’ll take them.
“I just want to meet the lads, get to know them all and then I want to put in my best performance I possibly can in my first game, regardless of what level that’s for, who that’s for, who that’s against. I want to imprint my name into Wolves and then go from there.”
On taking the step-up to Premier League football
“Everything I’ve done at Rochdale at the first-team and at the Academy has prepared me for the next step, so I feel like I am ready. I’m ready to go, I’ve just got to not change my mentality, who I am, I’ve just got to keep everything the same and then everything will take care of itself.
“Football is my life. I hope I have a long playing career and if not as a player, I want to go into something else to do with football. Football is everything to me.”
On returning to Rochdale on loan
“I’m heading back to Rochdale for the rest of the season. They’ve given me constant opportunities from when I was an eight-year-old to now a 17-year-old, I can’t thank them enough. I can’t wait to get back playing for them and getting more experience.
“I only passed my driving test yesterday and that was something I’ve been trying to do since I turned 17. It will save me two hours of travelling to training at Rochdale a day, so it’s been an amazing week.”
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