Tommy Doyle has spent the past four seasons on loan from northern Germany to the Welsh capital after coming through Manchester City’s youth academy, but he has finally found a home at Wolverhampton.
He made his Premier League debut in the 2019/20 season. Riyad Mahrez He played an instrumental role in the final 15 minutes of a thumping 5-0 win over Newcastle at the end of the season.
Despite having experience playing in the top flight of English football, his first real test in the league did not come until he was loaned out to Molineux last summer.
The Manchester-born midfielder made 32 appearances in all competitions for Wolves under manager Gary O’Neill and is now looking to progress further following a permanent move to the club for £4.3 million.
“It was important for me to find a base somewhere,” he said. “I was bouncing around a lot with a few different loans.”
“I’m feeling pretty stable now. I really enjoyed last season and it’s great to see it sticking and I’m ready to give it another go this season.”
Reunion with Maresca
As for his aims and objectives for this season, Doyle is not keen to put numbers on his play but is looking to improve on last season’s performance, insisting that if he surpasses the previous campaign he will be “doing something right”.
That will be no easy task given the start to the season Wolves have faced. O’Neill’s side began the campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, with Doyle sitting out that afternoon’s game.
Doyle played for Manchester City’s youth teams under Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
It doesn’t get any sweeter than that. Doyle and his team-mates face financial giants Chelsea at Molineux in their first home game on Sunday, and he is not daunted by the prospect of facing a squad of superstars and a former City youth-team manager. Enzo Maresca.
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Arsenal vs Wolves Premier League match highlights.
“Chelsea will be tough opponents, they have a lot of top class players and what the manager wants from Chelsea is what most teams aspire to – attacking football and possession-based play,” Doyle said.
“It’s not an opponent we haven’t faced before, but they have players who can influence the game. We need to be careful of them and above all else, it’s important that we focus on ourselves.”
Maresca and Doyle, who captained the club, formed a formidable duo through City’s youth team, which won the Under-23 Premier League title in 2020/21, with Doyle’s four goals and 10 assists playing a major role in that impressive run.
“I had a great relationship with him when I was at City,” he added, “we won the league together and he’s also a great coach.”
Three lions on the horizon?
You’re only as good as the people around you, and at the moment, all of Doyle’s former coaching staff seem to like that.
He left club football to become England U21 manager Lee Carsley Recently appointed Gareth Southgate’s As interim successor to the senior team, it could pave the way for Doyle to follow in the footsteps of other young stars such as Cole Palmer and Adam Wharton.
Cole Palmer is a former teammate of Doyle’s.
“Firstly, we’re excited about Lee,” Doyle said. “He’s a top-class player and we’d be delighted to have him in the senior squad.”
Asked if his aim this season was to make the England squad, he added: “For me personally, I think it’s my responsibility to perform well for Wolves.”
“That’s the most important thing. If I do it well here, that will happen. I’m not just focused on that. It’s about how I perform here.”
England interim manager Lee Carsley
“How I play for my club is what ultimately gets me the opportunity to play for my country, so I need to focus on that.”
Captain wannabe
It’s the calm approach you’d expect from a veteran player in the squad, not a 22-year-old with just under 30 Premier League appearances to his name.
Doyle regularly displays experience beyond his years and that has not gone unnoticed by the Wolves manager, who has handed the young midfielder the captain’s armband throughout pre-season and has openly discussed the idea of Doyle becoming the club’s vice-captain.
“I’ve yet to decide on a vice-captain but Tommy fits the standard I’ve set for him,” O’Neill said. Express & Star“He’s competent enough to wear the armband.”
Doyle himself has spoken about the possibility of becoming a leader within the team and said he is “delighted” to have his teammate join him. Mario Lemina I was appointed as the new club captain.
Doyle is a potential vice-captain to new Wolves captain Mario Lemina.
“I see myself as a leader, 100 percent,” he said. “Ultimately I want to get to the point where I can captain the club. It’s good for me to learn from Mario, so hopefully I can be a leader this season and help the players as much as I can.”
The key members of the team are Max Kilman and Pedro Neto Although he left the team this summer, Doyle will be a key player on the team and could become a veteran member over time.
His quality on the pitch, his leadership off it and his determination to succeed at the highest level all suggest Doyle is ready to make this club his own.
