2022/23 Wolves Academy scholars inducted

Wolves’ have welcomed 10 new full-time academy scholars to the club at an induction evening held at Molineux this week ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Many of the group have been at the club for several years after progressing through the younger age groups at Wolves’ category one academy, while others are new additions to the squad for 2022.

On Saturday, the players and their parents met with all the academy coaching and administration staff to hear about the full-time programme they will be following over the two years of their scholarship, with the ultimate aim of earning their first professional contract.

Jon Hunter-Barrett, academy manager for football, said: “We’ve got a really diverse group of scholars in the academy this season, with boys at different stages of their development. There are some who have already played for the under-18s while they were schoolboys and there are some who haven’t had that experience yet.

“It’s a good group, who are all humble and are all keen to learn and improve everyday with the work they have been doing throughout pre-season with the sessions that Steve Davis and James McPike have been putting on.

“My hope for this group is for them to stay focused, stay engaged and really try to enjoy the learning which they need to have to aid their development at Wolves.”

Hunter-Barrett has given his view on the 16-year-olds who have been enrolled as scholars this week:

Stan Amos

• Position: Goalkeeper
• Hometown: Solihull

“Stan signed for the academy at 14 and has spent some time in our development centre during the previous year or two. He’s a local boy from the Solihull area and his scholarship is reward for a very good under-16s season. He’s very keen to learn, he’s very focused and a good person to have around the group.”

Fin Ashworth

• Position: Attacking midfielder
• Hometown: Wolverhampton

“Fin has been with the academy since he was eight. He’s a local boy from the Tettenhall area and progressed through the entire programme here at Wolves. He’s an attacking midfield player who is quite creative and likes to play on half turn. He uses his technical and tactical knowledge of the game to help him find spaces across the pitch.”

Hayden Carson

• Position: Left-sided defender
• Hometown: Whitehaven, Cumbria

“Hayden is a boy who actually came into us from one of our open trials, and he was signed into the academy at 14. He’s a left-footed defender who enjoys the out of possession responsibilities of the game and can either play at left-back or left-sided centre-back. He has unbelievable character and a great person who brings drive and hunger to the group.”

Leon Chiwome

• Position: Striker
• Hometown: Brighton

“Leon is one of our most recent additions into the academy, coming in from AFC Wimbledon. What we saw in him was an excellent profile for a centre-forward who is big, strong and quick. He’s very keen to learn and get on the ball, and he knows where the back of the net is.”

Mo Diomande

• Position: Central defender
• Hometown: Birmingham

“Mo is another boy who joined the academy at 14 and has spent time in our development centre. He’s from the Birmingham area and most suited to more of a central defender role. He’s a very keen, athletic and aggressive defender, who enjoys one-vs-one duels.”

Testimony Igbinoghene

• Position: Left-back/left-winger
• Hometown: Manchester

“Testimony is a recent addition and was unfortunate not to have been given a scholarship at Manchester City’s academy, but when we were made aware of his availability, we looked at him and brought him to Wolves. He’s a left-back who is very tidy and efficient in possession of the ball. He’s a good character, a keen learner, and wants to work hard to improve.”

Dom Plank

• Position: Right-winger
• Hometown: Cranleigh, Surrey

“Dominic is another of our recent additions, coming from Dorking Wanderers down in Surrey. He’s a winger, who is a creative dribbler and is a player who likes to play without any fear when he’s on the ball. He’s only been here a short amount of time and we’re still getting to know him, but we think he has a lot of potential.”

Mason Rees

• Position: Defensive midfielder
• Hometown: Solihull

“Mason has been with the academy since he was nine and has gone all the way through the programme. At 15, he was playing the under-18s, and he’s already featured for the under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy last season, and he’s a player who we are really proud to have seen progress during his years with us. He’s another boy from the Solihull area and is a central midfield player who is more defensive minded. He keeps possession well, he’s nice and tidy on the ball, and we believe he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

Fabian Reynolds

• Position: Left-winger
• Hometown: Surbiton, London

“Fabian is a left-winger who came straight into our full-time programme when he was an under-16. As part of coming here from London, he moved in with one of our academy host families and joined Thomas Telford School. He’s another creative dribbler, who’s agile and he’s very one-vs-one dominant in both attacking and defending. He’s someone who hasn’t been in an academy programme before, although he’s had several trials at different clubs, and we opted to take him on because he’s an exciting player.”

Lucas Scicluna

• Position: Central midfielder
• Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

“Lucas has been with the academy a very long time having joined when he was an under-8. He’s got a great personality, drive and enthusiasm for football. His family made a huge commitment to move over to this country from Australia when he was about five or six, with his older brother Dylan, who is now in the under-21s. He plays as a central midfielder as a four or an eight, he’s good on the ball, and has an enthusiasm to make things happen with his energy and his passion.”