Wolverhampton Wanderers youngster Joe Young has committed his future to the club by signing his first professional contract.
Signing your first professional deal is a watershed moment for any young footballer – but it probably feels even more significant when you’ve been with the academy for 10 years, with the goal of achieving this specific achievement.
Young, 17, has progressed through the junior ranks at the club and has nearly been here for 10 years. He is seemingly the first-choice for the U18s, and he has also made his first appearance for the U23s – a decent achievement for a keeper of just 17 years.
Youngster Young was born in Telford and first joined the academy when he was just an eight-year-old. At the time, it would have been during 2010/11 season, where Wolves managed to escape the drop once more.
It acts as a good representation of just how much Wolves have fluctuated within his time at the club. Within those nine or so years, Wanderers have managed to drop down into the third-tier, and now they find themselves one game away from the final eight of the Europa League.
Since playing for Wanderers, Young has played a number of times for his country at U16 and U17 level and even recently worked his way into the U18s side, so the future looks bright for Joe.
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Head of the academy, Scott Sellars, was delighted that he has been offered a deal after being at the club since U9s, stating that it is well deserved for the player for all of his hard work and commitment.
He said: “Joe has been here at Wolves for a very long time and joined us from the under-9s, so we know him really well and has progressed brilliantly during his time here.
“He was always highlighted as a player with potential and has spent most of this season as the under-18s goalkeeper after taking his opportunity when Jackson Smith got injured and has performed really well.
“In terms of his performances and attitude, Joe’s a boy with a really strong mentality and is a player who deserves to be progressing his way through the club, and signing this professional contract, because of his attitude, work ethic and what he displays on a daily basis.
“It goes to show that if young players do the work here, they will get rewarded.”
With football likely to be amiss for at least the next month or so with the spread of coronavirus, this is a positive story for the club which is likely to be appreciated by fans.
Despite that, many will be hoping that they can find a way to get the season going again, as they won’t want this terrific season to be voided.
