Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has revealed the race to replace George Elokobi is wide open for his two new left-backs to make the spot own.
Matt Hill and George Friend joined fellow deadline signing Jason Shackell playing 45 minutes in yesterday’s 1-0 friendly defeat against Coventry at Compton. At 27, Hill is seven years the senior of Friend, who has played just four League matches. But McCarthy believes either could make the spot their own.
“The best one will play – if Stephen Ward is the best one, he’ll play because he did well against Nottingham Forest,” said the boss.
“Being 4-0 up in the first-half, it’s not like going to Charlton or Birmingham and you have a lot of the defending to do.
“But I see George (Friend) competing for the slot – he’s not been brought in to sit in the squad and be nurtured.
“After seeing him on Saturday, ‘Taff’ thought he’ll be playing in our first team once he gets his feet under the table.
“If they’re good enough and if they’re better than the other one, they will play.
“Matt want to prove something to Preston.
He’s 5ft 8ins but he heads it well. He’s played 300 League games and we need that experience.
“I like people with almost a chip on their shoulder that they have to prove to people they can play.”
Like Kightly and Elokobi, McCarthy hadn’t seen Friend play, but left the decision to trusted lieutenant Ian ‘Taff’ Evans.
“We had George watched four or five times,” he said.
“One of our scouts from Dave Bowman’s network, Andrew Cassidy, had seen him.
“Then Dave provided a good report, Steve Weaver was quite impressed, then ‘Taff’ saw him on Saturday purposefully because I needed a decision.
“‘Taff’ said sign him, and that’s good enough for me.
“I can’t watch the games because we’re playing, so it’s great we’ve got that trust in his decisions.
“I’d seen George on one DVD and liked him – if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have bothered.”
McCarthy is hoping that youngster Friend can emulate Kightly and Elokobi, who both emerged from non-League.
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