After signing permanently for Wolves from boyhood club Manchester City this summer, Tommy Doyle is excited to get his second campaign underway in gold and black against Arsenal this weekend.
The England under-21 midfielder has made a new home at Molineux after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan with the Old Gold, and is now looking forward to getting back out on the pitch on Saturday as Wolves’ latest year in the Premier League begins at the Emirates – the first game of a season which Doyle is expecting big things from the team.
On signing permanently this summer
“You know how I feel about City and the connection that I have, but I think it was time to move on and crack on elsewhere, and honestly, I'm so happy here.
“It’s a nice feeling, having somewhere that you can call home and somewhere you feel comfortable in and you’re happy on and off the pitch, and I’m happy in that sense.
“Last season was brilliant for me personally and collectively as a team. I think we had a really good season, but obviously, I want to achieve a lot more than I did last season. So that's what it’s all about.
“It’s about pushing yourself, making yourself better, and I think this is a great place for me with the staff that we have and the players that we have to achieve more. It’s exciting, because I believe that we can push on and achieve more, for me, personally, and as a team. I’m really looking forward to getting started again.”
On the first game of the season this weekend
“I’m massively excited. After a couple of weeks of the off season, you’re literally waiting for the first game again. That’s how I've always been, I’m always wanting to play football.
“It was nice to have a break, because it’s something that I’ve probably not had in a while, but after a couple of weeks, you start getting the feel for it again, and once you start training on your own, you’re just ready to start again.
“There’s nothing to watch on telling either is there? Once the football is back on, it gives you something to watch in the evenings, which is a lot better.”
On facing Arsenal on the opening day
“They will know now that every single game matters. You’ve seen how close the title race has been the past couple of years, so I’m not expecting them to have their foot off the gas, I’m expecting them to come full throttle.
“I’ve worked with Mikel [Arteta] before, and I know how he is and how he likes to work, so I’m not expecting them to be off the pace at all. We’re expecting the best version of Arsenal, but we’re also expecting the best version of ourselves.
“Hopefully we can go there, do well and start the season brightly, because if we can go there and win, it’ll be a massive marker.”
On pre-season departures
“That’s part and parcel of the game. Obviously, it’s difficult because your families have a great relationship. With Max [Kilman], for instance, our girlfriends had a great relationship, so for stuff like that, it is difficult for everyone to see him in a different place.
“We’ve lost Pedro [Neto] as well, another unbelievable guy. It’ll be strange to see them in a different kit, but that’s life, that's how it is as a footballer. They're obviously doing what's best for their career and we wish them well until we play each other.”
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On O’Neil’s long-term deal
“The gaffer was very straight and honest with us and told us that he loves it here and wants to be here and wants to help us progress as individuals and as a team and take the club to the highest point possible, so I think it’s probably one of the most exciting places to be right now.
“I know there is a lot of talk on us at the moment, but we’ve had a good preseason, obviously, apart from the other day, when we when we weren’t as great, but all in all, we’ve had a very good preseason.
“We’ve worked on a lot of things that we’re going to take into the season, and it’s all about progression and I feel like we can achieve more, for sure.”
On aims for this season
“Personally, and then as a team, it kind of fits in one. You always want to progress and achieve more than what you did last season, and that’s the same for me, to play a lot of games, as much as I can, and then hopefully get in the eye of the England set up.
“I’ve done all the age groups in the youth team, so for me now, it’s to push on for the senior squad. But I know that is all based on how I play at Wolves.
“My main focus is to perform here, to shine here, to play as many games as possible, and then hopefully there’s no reason why I can’t be in the conversation.”
