Wolves youngster eager to make the most of his big chance

Alfie Pond was never expected to get close to the Wolves first team this season.

Undoubtedly a talented player, the 20-year-old joined the club in 2022 before making his first-team debut last August under Gary O’Neil, as a late substitute against Blackpool in the Carabao Cup.

Shortly afterwards, he joined League Two side Stockport County on his first loan move away from Wolves. But the defender managed just nine appearances before his loan was cut short in January and he returned to Wolves.

This season, Pond did not join the first-team on their pre-season tours of Spain and America, with Nigel Lonwijk instead chosen as defensive back-up. But Lonwijk later joined Huddersfield Town on loan and after Wolves failed to sign a centre-back before the window closed – and with Yerson Mosquera’s serious knee injury – Pond has been handed an unlikely chance.

The youngster was thrown in from the start against Brighton in the Carabao Cup and held his own in the 3-2 defeat.

“I was buzzing when I found out the day before,” Pond told the Express & Star. “It was a big opportunity for me and something that doesn’t come around often, especially for some of the young lads.