4 min read
28th Oct 2022
There has been no shortage of time out on the grass for Wolves under-18s, who return to action against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon after two weeks without a game.
Five under-18s were involved in the Papa John’s Trophy fixture at Port Vale last week, while international call-ups have also meant little time to rest for James McPike’s players, as the under-18s assistant coach continues to lead the side in the absence of Steve Davis. More positive news was announced on Thursday afternoon, with goalkeeper James Storer signing his first professional contract – something which McPike believes is richly deserved.
On the last couple of weeks
“Some of our second years have had some really good opportunities in the last couple of weeks which included the Papa John’s Trophy game.
“We had a few start in that and a couple came off the bench, so they had some great experiences there.
“We also had the opportunity to put a game on during that period to get some boys some game time and minutes – it’s important to keep them ticking over.
“Other than that, we’ve been running with our training programme. We’ve had opportunities to train with the 21s as a big group, so that’s stretched players in different ways. Some of the 21s have had opportunities to go and train with the first team, so it’s been a good couple of weeks.”
On the performances of the under-18s involved at Port Vale
“I thought the boys really dug in on what was a big pitch – they covered the ground well and they were committed to what Sharpsy (Ian Sharps) was trying to do with them.
“Fil (Mabete) was excellent in large portions and he had a really strong game, showing real maturity as did Jimmy (Storer). We had Leon (Chiwome) playing as well which was another good opportunity for him, while Ackeme (Francis-Burrell) and Owen (Farmer) got a look-in as well.
“It was fantastic to be in a different environment in a senior game in front of a decent crowd.”
Congratulations to Leon Chiwome who has been included in the @England under-17 squad for the upcoming #U17EURO qualifying round.
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) October 24, 2022
On Leon Chiwome’s England under-17s debut
“He’s started well and adapted to the club, environment and the culture we try to set here. He works really hard in training and has been quite effective in the games, whether that’s been 17s or 18s – it’s a nice little pat on the back for him.
“It’s really good character building to go to different countries, experience different coaching and be in a different environment.
“Those experiences stand them in good stead for their careers. It’s important they don’t get too carried away with them – they’re good opportunities but it’s not the be-all and end-all. They have to keep knuckling down when they come back into the club and work hard trying to develop.”
On Jimmy Storer’s professional contract
“He’s got great potential. If you could paint a picture of a goalkeeper you’d probably paint Jimmy to be fair.
“He’s got great height on his side and he’s good technically with the stuff he does around the goal. Ultimately, he’s a great kid and is a very committed individual who shows good leadership within the group as well.
“He’s added a bit of consistency to his games, but the way he conducts himself, leads and communicates with the team has been brilliant. He’s a top kid so I’m really happy for him.”
Putting pen-to-paper on becoming a pro.
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) October 27, 2022
On facing Liverpool
“We stick to a curriculum of work and have our themes. We work really hard about us and what we want out of the game, not so much about the opposition.
“That being said, Liverpool are a top quality side with top quality individuals and a clear identity of how they play.
“They play at a high intensity just like their first team, so it’ll be a challenging game but we’ve prepared as best as we can. We’ve worked on the things that we want to get out of the game.”
