At the midpoint of Wolves’ tour of the US, Matt Doherty says it’s been a success on and off the pitch so far.
Gary O’Neil’s squad have endured a tough training schedule in hot conditions, but it paid off during a first friendly of the trip against West Ham United on the weekend. Away from the pitch, a series of activities have kept the players occupied and allowed chemistry to build, but the best is to come later today for Doherty, who’ll throw the first pitch at the Baltimore Orioles’ baseball match.
On enjoying the United States
“Every time I’ve been to America, I’ve had a great time. I really enjoy it. We’re training hard, training well, and things are going well on the training pitch and in the gamedays so far.
“Everyone’s enjoying the trip, we’re getting the right time off when we need it, but we’re not being silly or stupid, we’re respecting the schedule and respecting the times, and it’s been a solid trip so far. We still have a week to go, so let’s not jynx it.”
On enjoying the downtime
“The hotel is right on the beach, but I don’t think I’ve stepped on the beach once because it’s so hot. It’s almost unbearable, so it’s more of a nighttime thing, you go for a walk or some dinner, which we’ve been able to do a few times.”
A job well done in Jacksonville 👏
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 29, 2024
Next up: Palace in Annapolis 🔜 pic.twitter.com/8K5N3fV3dh
On throwing the first pitch
“I’m really looking forward to it. I’m a fan of baseball and a lot of American sports – I watch all of them on TV. It’s something not many people can say they’ve done so it’s going to feel pretty special.
“The club came to me. We did a lot of media stuff towards the end of the season, rolling off team names in American sport and I threw a curveball in and said a minor league baseball team. They know I’m into a lot of American sports, so they thought I’d enjoy it and I’m looking forward to it.
“We heard about the Will Devey story and it’s a cool thing in general. There isn’t many people in America who can say they’ve done it, never mind coming over from England. The timing is right and I’m pretty fortunate I’m able to do it.”
On having nerves beforehand
“On Tuesday I’ll probably be a bit anxious, a bit nervous, because I’ve never thrown a baseball really, but I’m going for it, I’m not messing around, I’m trying to hit the gloves as fast as I can.
“The activities are fun, but this is more than an activity for me – some people would have this on a bucket list. This is an honour, a privilege, it’s more than an activity. I feel quite blessed to be able to do it.”
