3 min read
3rd Jul 2024
Youngster Finn Ashworth has taken his next step at Wolves by signing a professional contract for the very first time.
Ashworth, 18, has been with the Old Gold since the age of eight and has risen right the way through the academy ranks at Compton Park.
And he has now been rewarded for years of hard work and sacrifice, putting pen-to-paper on professional terms with the club.
A midfielder by trade, Ashworth is local to the area and signed a two-year scholarship in the summer of 2022.
Since then, the youngster has continued his development within the under-18s squad and also experienced under-21 football in 2023/24, making his Premier League 2 debut against Crystal Palace last September.
After securing the future of another young talent, academy manager for football Jon Hunter-Barrett said: “First of all, we’re delighted that Finn is going to be with us for another two years so he can continue his development and trajectory as a player.
“He’s been here a very long time and we’ve seen Finn come through the pre-academy, youth development phase, and professional development phase, and now into the under-21s. The good thing about Finn is that he doesn’t become complacent on the back of that.”
As with any player and their journey through the academy, Ashworth has had his own obstacles to overcome but Hunter-Barrett has highlighted the key strengths of the midfielder and his progression following two years of being a scholar.
“He has the technicalities to manage the ball really well in tight spaces and likes to play forwards quite a lot,” Hunter-Barrett continued. “For us, those are the things that he can do and he’s got natural football intelligence.
“You always see a big difference in players when they’re in full-time football. The first year typically is settling down and letting your body adjust to the change and in the second year you really see them kick on, grow in confidence and grow as a person.”
Moving forwards, Hunter-Barrett has explained that Ashworth’s next steps are all about continual progression and develop as he aims to make his mark within the under-21s set-up during the 2024/25 campaign.
“The big thing for Finn is to continue what he’s been doing. He’s done his two years as a scholar and he’s been in the under-21s environment so it’s going to be about continuing his growth and development as a person and as a player. We want him to continue getting on the ball, continue to look to play forwards and be that positive spark within a team.”
