One to Eleven | Theo Corbeanu

Wolves under-23 winger Theo Corbeanu is the latest Academy star to give wolves.co.uk an insight into his life on and off the pitch in the One to Eleven series.

FACTFILE

• Position: Forward
• Birthdate: 17^th May 2002
• Hometown: Toronto, Canada
• Nationality: Canadian
• Time at Wolves: Four years

1. What do you remember from the first time you played football?

I remember that I was a goalkeeper when I started off. I was playing ‘house league’ in Canada when I was about eight-years-old and after a few games they moved me to striker because everyone would be rotated around the pitch, and I scored a few goals, so ever since that moment, I’ve played up front.

2. Have you always wanted to be a footballer?

Always. Ever since I started playing regularly as a keeper. I remember when I was little, I would play a lot of basketball as I liked to bounce the ball around, because in Canada, basketball and hockey are the biggest things and football isn’t really there yet. But ever since I was eight, I wanted to be a footballer. I actually got into football because of my brother as he was really into it, and I just mirrored whatever he did.

3. How did you feel when you first joined Wolves Academy?

It was an unbelievable feeling. It was always a dream for me to play in Europe and obviously to play in the best league in the world – the Premier League. Before I came to Wolves, I was playing in the MLS with Toronto FC and it has always been my biggest motivation, objective and dream to play here, so it was amazing to sign for Wolves.

4. What have you learnt most while at Wolves?

I would say the fighting spirit of the squad. It’s amazing to watch the first-team play and to train alongside them, but that same style of play and that fighting spirit is implemented across the Academy.

5. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I have a couple and it’s hard to decide between them. One was getting called up and travelling with the first-team to Shanghai at the start of last season, one was scoring my first goal for my country and the other was scoring in the Youth Cup against Crystal Palace in front of hundreds of supporters at Molineux.

6. How would you describe yourself as a player?

I would say I like to get on my man, one-on-one, and make things happen. I’m a tricky player, I’ll score goals, make assists, and try to base my game off all the big players, taking little bits off each of them.

7. Whose playing style in the first-team do you try to emulate?

The first-team have some great attacking players, and I probably try to take a mixture of both Adama and Podence, but mainly Adama. I love the way he squares up against his man and takes him one-on-one with his crazy acceleration.

8. What first-team player do you look up to most?

I would say Adama again. He didn’t have the best of years in his first season here, he wasn’t having the impact he might have wanted, but you could tell in the second year that he came with something to prove. You could see his mentality had changed and that was unbelievable to see up close; the way he changed his game and evolved in his second year, and now he’s one of the best players in the Premier League.

9. Which Wolves player’s career would you like to have?

Even though I’m an attacking player, you can’t look past Joao Moutinho’s career. He has the best profile because of the trophies he’s won and the leagues that he’s been in.

10. What are your hopes for the next 12 months?

I just want to shine where I’m at. I’ve had a good start to the season and I just want to keep that up and continue to score goals. I want to continue to do well with the under-23s and hopefully get a chance to get into the first-team.

11. What’s the one thing you’d like to achieve in your career?

That would be very close between the Champions League and the World Cup, but if I could only achieve one thing it would be to win the World Cup with my country. It probably won’t ever happen with Canada, but to achieve that would be beyond a dream come true.