This has become the summer of make-or-break for one group of young footballers striving to make their presence felt in an ever-changing Wolves squad.
Manager Mick McCarthy takes his players off on tour to Scotland at the weekend and, such are the number of players currently stockpiled at Molineux, it will be a major achievement just to get a place on the trip.
For the youngsters once billed as the future of the team, they simply cannot afford to miss out. For Daniel Jones, Mark Little, Mark Davies, Lewis Gobern and Co, the moment of truth in their quest to play for Wolves and fulfil an old romantic’s dream has arrived.
It was Wolves former owner and arch sentimentalist Sir Jack Hayward who thrust the club’s academy development into the forefront, in the months which followed his famous ‘golden tit’ outburst.
Sir Jack, weary of financing one fruitless promotion bid after another, imagined a Wolves team staffed by home-grown, fiercely committed and loyal youngsters, bursting with price just to wear the gold and black shirt.
By general consent, the academy has produced its successes since then, though the vision of a Wolves side dominated by home talent remains distant.
In a post-Premiership era which was supposed to offer the youngsters their big chance, current boss Mick McCarthy has found very little room so far for Molineux’s own cubs.
Wolves may have gone ‘young and hungry’, but they are the ‘young and hungry’ products of other clubs.
Two years ago, after former boss Glenn Hoddle quit just 48 hours before he was due to take his players on a pre-season trip to Spain, it was the Academy kids who fleshed out the squad for the grip.
The Express & Star was there to picture the bright young hopefuls. Of that group of nine, only keeper Wayne Hennessey has so far secured a future for himself at Molineux.
Six remain in the file marked ‘under review’ while two have already been discarded.
Irish midfielder Kevin O’Connor is looking for a new club while he recovers from injury, while Codsall defender Martin Riley is now hoping to earn a fresh start on trial with Kidderminster Harriers.
Riley, reared on the Wolves years dominated by Bull, Dennison et al, is still in touch with all his old ‘muckers.’
He said: “Yes, it’s a big time for them and I think they all know that. I had been there since I was 14 and we had a lot of good players.
“A lot of us were tipped to make it and I always believed in myself. I still do. I would love to play for Wolves even now and have not given up hope that one day I will.
“But I had a fall-out with the manager which had been building up for quite a while. I knew I wasn’t going to get an opportunity and I started to get frustrated at that.
“It reached the point where it was best for me to go, get myself around a few clubs and see if I could get a contract.”
Riley enjoyed a two-week trial at Bristol City, got a strong recommendation from manager Gary Johnson but found it impossible to break into a squad already flush with five central defenders.
He finished his season off at Shrewsbury but a change of management and then bad knee injury shut down that opportunity.
Aggborough now is the focus – with another Wolves ‘ex’ Keith Lowe is alongside him – and Riley’s experience is what awaits his contemporaries, if they fail in their efforts to prove to McCarthy they deserve a place, in a team showing such a dramatic overhaul in this manager’s two-year tenure.
“I watched some of the lads get into the first team and thought they did well. But they didn’t push on from there and I don’t know why.
“In the end, you have to believe in yourself and back your ability. That’s how I feel. I know I can play but it’s just a case of getting that foot in the door somewhere and getting that run of games.
“There’s so many fringe players in the same position. I was in an England Under 20 team, with players such as Aaron Lennon and Gabby Agbonlahor, which went to Russia.
“I was 18, playing for England and you feel it is only a matter of time. But getting that opportunity at club level is so hard.
“I’m young enough to come again though and that’s what I intend to do. I haven’t given up on anything.”
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CLASS OF 2006?
MARTIN RILEY
Disheartened by a lack of first team opportunity, Riley left in December 2007, finishing last season at Shrewsbury. He is now hoping to give his career a fresh launchpad at Kidderminster.
MARK LITTLE
One of the brightest of the crop, Little is 20 in August and looking to build on that flurry of first team showings in McCarthy’s first season, after loan experience at Northampton. Will he get another chance?
KEVIN O’CONNOR
Played in McCarthy’s first game and made two more first team appearances before cruelly struck down by injury. Wolves have allowed him to continue his rehab at Compton but he is not being retained.
MARK DAVIES
There was a time when Wolves were fighting off Premiership clubs to hang on to their England age group midfielder. Two years of injury problems have left him with it all to do, to prove he can still be the top-notch thrusting midfielder he promised.
CARL IKEME
Often over-looked because of the outstanding keepers ahead of him, Ikeme will look for more loan experience this season. Injuries have held him up but he too is a keeper of terrific potential awaiting a prime opportunity. Still has much to offer.
WAYNE HENNESSEY
The obvious success of the group, Hennessey is now one of the most coveted goalkeepers outside the Premiership and No.1 for his country. A top flight career beckons and the youngster genuinely wants it to be with Wolves.
LEWIS GOBERN
McCarthy has a liking for this feisty, pacey wide player but he cannot wait forever. In the last year of his contract, with injuries hopefully cleared up, Gobern must prove himself a worthy understudy to Kightly.
DANIEL JONES
God loves a trier and “DJ” just refuses to give up on his Wolves dream. Rightly so – Wolves fans felt he was hard done by not to get a chance last season. They will have their fingers crossed for him this time.
STEPHEN GLEESON
His play-off semi-final goal while on loan to Stockport last season will have whetted his appetite for the buzz of first team football. Gleeson is another highly thought of prospect for whom the clock is ticking.
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