The Journey | Hugo Bueno

There is no other player in gold and black who has experienced a 2022 quite like Hugo Bueno.

The left-back has been a revelation in the Premier League since he was given a chance to make his first senior start for Wolves by Steve Davis against Crystal Palace, but it’s one he’s been working hard to achieve since he arrived as an unknown 16-year-old fresh off the grassroots pitches of Vigo.

“I didn’t know a lot about Hugo before he came over to the UK,” Davis admitted. “Matt [Hobbs] had told me that one of the scouts had spotted someone over in Spain and he was coming across to the club, along with Erik Bugarin. I hadn’t been to see Hugo myself, but I’d been to Spain to see Erik, and they came over together.

“Hugo came in as a skinny number 10 or a winger really, a lefty, skilful. I guess it was a bit of a calculated gamble by us as he wasn’t going to cost us much, but the question was whether we could make him into the player we felt he had the potential to be.

“Once he came into the group, he played a few games during his trial in the 10 and wing positions. He used to sit down looking at the referee a lot. Every time he got fouled, he would go down and gesture to the referee, because he struggled physically with the game over here.

“Improving him physically and his tactically were the highlight of his plan and those were the things he worked really hard on, with a lot of that coming from himself. He did a lot of extras, he was never shy to stay behind and do extra training, and that’s paid off for him.

“That was all about him driving himself to be better. He showed all the values that players need to develop and improve, and what he’s showing now is the end result of all that hard work.”

The past four years have been quite the journey for the Spaniard. Initially picked up from the youth set-up of lower league outfit CD Areosa, it was just by chance that Bueno came to the attention of Wolves.

European academy scout Graham Clutton happened to be on the northwest coast of Spain in October 2018 after the club had spotted another young talent playing for Celta Vigo, but with a bit of spare time before Celta’s match, he did what any football-loving scout would do and attended a grassroots game, on the off chance of spotting untapped potential.

Catching his eye at an under-19 clash between Areosa and Porrino Industrial was an attacking midfielder. Despite not being at a top club’s academy, Bueno showed the technical skills while playing in the number 10 role which Clutton believed would be of use to Wolves’ under-18s.

Having made contact with his family, Clutton – under instruction from the then-head of European scouting Hobbs – invited Bueno over to Compton Park for a trial.

“You can always get lucky,” Hobbs said. “Bringing in Hugo in many ways was lucky, but lucky because we had the right people with the right work ethic.

“We were in Vigo watching a different player, but because Graham was the right person and the department is run in the right way, he watched a local game before because he had time to kill, saw Hugo, brought him in and the rest is history.”

Former technical director Scott Sellars also praised the work of Clutton in spotting Bueno in a chance meeting when he wasn’t a player on the club’s radar.

“The agent that was looking after the target Graham was watching mentioned there was a grassroots game happening beforehand, so advised him to go and have a look.

“Hugo was playing as an attacking midfield player and he came over and had a trial. We saw that he had really good technical ability, and although he was quite frail and found it tough when he first came here, we saw some potential in him.

“There wasn’t a lot of interest in him in Spain, which is ironic. He came and trained with us, his dad came over and had a good look round to get a feel for the club and how we were going to look after him.

“It was just a case of getting him into the club, making him feel welcome and from that point, it was in Hugo’s hands, but I’d also say his work ethic is unbelievable.

“Most nights when the other kids were going home, he would do extra and he’s always one of the last to leave here at night because of the work he does. He’s now getting his rewards through his pure hard work and determination to succeed.”

When he first joined up on a temporary basis with the academy, Bueno’s first steps in English football were under the watchful eyes of Davis.

The man who would go on to give Bueno his Premier League bow has admitted he was not all too impressed with the Spaniard’s early showings at Wolves. Although Bueno displayed technical ability which is commonplace among young players from southern Europe, the physicality of the English game was something he struggled to adapt to.

But Davis had a brainwave.

He believed switching Bueno’s position from attacking midfielder to left wing-back would suit his skillset much better, and after extending his trial, the pair got to work on learning what it takes to play that role on the pitch – and Bueno hasn’t looked back since.

“We always try to replicate the systems that the first-team play at the younger levels,” Davis explained. “At the time, Nuno was playing with his back five and wing-backs, and we were short of left wing-backs and because he was good going forwards, with his step-overs and his skills, he always found a way of getting crosses in.

“We felt that if we could improve his defending – because he didn’t always value the defensive aspect of the game – as a wing-back, he would probably have a better chance of making it.

“It was something that I’d mentioned, and we tried him in that position in a game and he did alright, so we thought we’d try and develop him in that position, and that’s what we did.

“I didn’t think he’d have a career over here as a 10 or a winger. I felt he had more to give as a wing-back. From that position, he could see the bigger picture rather than being in-field – although he is rather comfortable playing in-field as that is where he grew up playing, so being inside the pitch isn’t as much of a problem to him. That gives him the scope to come inside and rotate with the wide player in front of him.

“Everything we did was about improving him as a wing-back and to be fair to him, he worked really hard. Not only on his physical self, where he got in the gym and filled himself out, but he was also doing a lot of extra work and he would be back out on the pitches at four, five o’clock at night, out by himself with the balls and practicing his crossing – generally, just trying to improve his game.

“We worked on his defending, one-v-ones, his positioning, and as he got stronger, he got better and better. With every game he played, he got better each time. He was with me for a bit before he moved up to work with James [Collins] and the 21s and he’s never looked back. As soon as he made it into that squad, he pretty much stayed there.

“We told him what he’d have to do to give himself the best chance. It’s building himself up physically, because that’s more what it’s about in this league, rather than in Spain when it’s more technical based.

“He had those technical skills anyway and he had a good left foot, so it was giving him the other bits. We knew he’d be quick enough, as pace wasn’t a problem for him, understanding the game and understanding the position was something he needed to learn.”

It wasn’t just adapting to a new position which Bueno had to learn after joining Wolves, but also a new culture, environment and language.

With Bueno speaking limited English on his arrival in Wolverhampton, Davis and his coaching staff had to be inventive in how they would put across their training methods and instructions to the then-16-year-old.

“As a coach, when you’re working with a player who has limited English – which Hugo did when he first came, but he obviously had English lessons and he learnt the language in a short space of time because he’s a very intelligent lad – it’s about finding the best ways of learning.

“It was maybe showing him on the pitch, walking him through it, showing clips of him in the games, showing where he was and where he should have been and what he could have done better. It was finding those different visual ways of getting him to see it and visualise it, rather than explaining it which would have been difficult due to his lack of English at the time.

“We adapted the way we coached him and the way we taught him in that early period, but then once his English improved, he understood the words, he understood what we were trying to say to him. Now he’s fluent in the language, so it’s even easier for us as coaches and for him to take what we’re telling him on board.”

The past four years in gold and black have proved to be a rollercoaster journey for Bueno.

His intelligence quickly helped him to master the left wing-back position and Bueno had nailed down the spot, while flourishing for the under-18s. His success with Davis’ side saw him soon pushed up into James Collins’ under-23s.

During this time, he was also training with Nuno Espirito Santo, and later Bruno Lage, in the Wolves first-team. This was where he first learned what it would take to achieve his aim of becoming a Premier League player.

But it was only since the turn of 2022 when it his progression has rocketed.

Quality from Hugo Bueno to give us the lead.

https://t.co/BXAv4FYBA7 pic.twitter.com/LXuzY9vWeO

— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) April 18, 2022

After picking up an injury towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign, Bueno began last season on the treatment table, but his time on the sidelines saw him spend more time in the gym.

Having got injured as a boy, he returned as a man, possessing the physical traits which Davis knew he would need to make it in the top-flight.

His return to the development side coincided with the stunning form of the under-23s, who lost just once in Premier League 2 during the first five months of the calendar year. He was playing like he’d never played before, scoring five goals in as many games to help the team on a run to the Division 2 play-offs, which ultimately ended in a successful promotion at Molineux.

Despite Bueno’s whirlwind 12 months, as well as the three important development years which proceeded it, did Davis ever predict the 20-year-old would make it at Wolves after those early days of his trial?

“No. But I don’t think you ever do,” he admitted. “You always hope that a player could become good enough to play in the Premier League, but we know the stats which say barely one per cent of players will make it. But it’s Hugo’s attitude which has got him there.

“His attitude and his application are two strengths that he’s got which you need. He always had potential; he was different because he was very skilful and left-footed and those sort of players are always very difficult to find and recruit – particularly from Spain – but we always felt that he had something.

“When you first bring a player into a club, all you can see is the potential, then it’s up to you as coaches to realise that potential and support him and help him to develop it. But a lot of that has to come from the player, not just the coach, and Hugo was very self-driven, committed and determined to succeed, and he has done. He’s got there.”

His performances in pre-season while out with the first-team in Spain and Portugal, as well as in training back at Compton, saw Lage promote Bueno to a permanent member of the senior squad in September.

Although he was regularly on the bench, he had to wait until Davis took over first-team matters to get his breakthrough chance.

A cameo off the bench as Wolves secured victory over Nottingham Forest, was followed up by a first start at Selhurst Park three days later.

“When the opportunity came at Crystal Palace to play him because Rayan [Ait-Nouri] was ill, James and I had no hesitation because we know his personality, we knew his temperament, and we knew he’d cope with the situation,” Davis explained.

“It was quite a late shout, but we sat him down together and we said, ‘We’re going to start you tonight and we have every confidence that you’re going to be fine and you’re going to enjoy it’.

“He just took everything on board. It was almost like he was ready for that conversation, he was ready to be given that opportunity, and we were both very pleased that we were the ones who were able to give him that opportunity.

“Maybe it helped that it was me and James – the two coaches he’s worked under since he’s been here – that were the ones giving him that chance at Palace. Not only do we know what he’s like having worked with him, but he also knows what we want from him.

“It’s very difficult to tell another coach or manager what you think about a player and you think that he’s going to be ok, because he has to trust your judgement, so for us, being the people in charge having worked with him, we knew that he’d be ok.

“Being in that position was an easy decision for us to play him and start with him, when it might have not been for another manager.”

The Hugo Bueno cross
The @AdamaTrd37 header

A pitchside angle of Adama’s opener at Palace. pic.twitter.com/f9E2tnCjaj

— Wolves (@Wolves) October 20, 2022

Bueno took just 31 minutes to make an impact. Playing at left-back, he made a bursting run down his side of the pitch before delivering an inch-perfect ball into the box for Adama Traore to head his side into the lead.

“It was a proud moment for both myself and James,” said a delighted Davis. “James has worked with Hugo equally as much as I have in his more senior time at the club.

“It’s about spotting potential, it’s about moulding the player, getting him the role in the team and getting him to understand it, and then, once he’s consistent with his performances, then it’s about the next step, moving up to the 21s and polishing those little things, refining those little details.

“We’ve both played a key part in his development and we were both very proud of him.”

Having seen the work Bueno and the academy coaching staff have put into developing the Spaniard’s Wolves career, Jon Hunter-Barrett, academy manager for football, believes it perfectly demonstrates the environment at Compton Park which is in place for young players to flourish in gold and black

“We’ve seen from the performances of Hugo out on a Premier League pitch, how important it is to have that support from a young age. Developing players, as well as coaches, is the job and it’s why we’re all here,” Hunter-Barrett said.

“I sent an email out to the staff to congratulate everybody on and off the field for their efforts throughout the environment for the individuals. Going from Hugo learning how to speak English with one of our teachers and his drive and work ethic to improve, which has been phenomenal.

“The support from the performance staff has been excellent. Identifying him playing grassroots football in Spain is a great story and piece of work.

“For Steve and James, there’s also been no better coaching development experience than going to take a first team. Steve is a boyhood Wolves fan, so it’s great for him to have stood and spent time in the dugout at Molineux in front of the supporters.

“It’s always important – we’re always succession planning and having a look outside for what might be needed in terms of top talent and what’s needed to strengthen some of the groups in key positions.”

Bueno’s performance against Palace earned rave reviews and he was rewarded with four further starting berths – ending Davis’ time in charge of Wolves as his go-to left-back.

Bueno had an October to remember. A new four-year contract was followed by picking up the Castore Player of the Month award, as voted for by Wolves supporters.

With another Spaniard in Julen Lopetegui having recently arrived at Molineux as new head coach, Bueno will be doing everything during the next few weeks to tie down the senior left-back spot going forward.

But Davis believes the future will certainly be a bright one for a player who might not even be a professional footballer if not for a chance meeting on the park pitches of Vigo four years ago.

“Who knows how good he can be?” Davis added. “With the games he’s played, he’s shown that he’s up there with any of the full-backs of his age. With more games at senior level, he’s going to keep learning and improving.

“He’s going to make mistakes. We understand that and accept that there will be times when he goes through a difficult period, and does make errors, but he has the attitude and he has the talent to be someone who could play for this club in the Premier League for many years to come, and hopefully even his country.

“Maybe he can get another dabble with Spain. He had that with me as an under-18, but we’re hoping that they recognise his progress and pick him as well, so he can have that opportunity to impress on an international level.”