Tawanda Chirewa is determined to earn his spot in Rob Edwards’ Wolves side after experiencing playing for his country at the first major tournament of his career.
The young forward featured in all three of Zimbabwe’s group games at the recent Africa Cup of Nations but was unable to help his team reach the knockout stages.
Upon his return from the competition, he has featured in all three of Wolves’ matchday squads and even came off the bench to make his second senior appearance of the season – and 10th in total – in the Old Gold’s first Premier League win of the season against West Ham United, but Chirewa is fully focused on showing Edwards he has what it takes to be part of the team during the second half of the campaign.
On his football upbringing
“Football played a massive role in my childhood. That was kind of the main thing in my life, watching football with my dad, playing football in the park with my friends, so it played a massive role in my childhood, and I didn't know anything else.
“It’s what I’m used to. It’s all I've known. Travelling from home to Ipswich was kind of first time that I experienced it and started the journey with my family.
“Then going there and seeing different cultures and trying to adapt and adjust and fit in was kind of the main thing I was doing at a young age. I was just trying to show what I could do and just enjoy football, so this life is all I’ve known.”
On believing he could reach the top
“I’ve always had a belief that I could do it. That’s what I wanted to do, that’s what I knew I could do. I don’t really know when the earliest moment was where I thought this is something I could do. I’ve just always had the belief.
“I’ve never had a moment where I thought, ‘OK, I’m good enough now’. I’ve always thought I was quite confident in my ability, so I kind of always believed in myself. But when I made my debut, I was 16, I was still in school, and that’s when I thought, ‘I’m decent’.”
On continuing his journey at Wolves
“Coming to Wolves was the next step. At that time in my life, I was looking at what would be the next step and what I could do to play Premier League football – or try to play Premier League football.
“Ipswich were in League One at the time, and I was near the first-team at a young age, but I wasn’t playing, so I wanted to try and see how good I am compared to the best players in the world and the best leagues, so as soon as my agent told me about Wolves, I said, ‘Let's go’.
“I wanted to go and test myself and see if I could get myself in that first-team. That was the goal, and as soon as I got here, that was the aim. I didn’t have much time to settle in, I was just focused on how I could get myself in front of the gaffer, which at the time was Gary O’Neil. That was the goal.”
A @premierleague debut for Tawanda Chirewa last night 🙌 pic.twitter.com/i8JEqZs5Ha
— Wolves (@Wolves) January 23, 2024
On his Premier League bow in January 2024
“Making my debut was a good achievement. I probably reflect on it more now, because at the time, it wasn’t like I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve just done this’. I was just thinking about how I can now take that next step.
“But I’m at the point in my career right now where I can think about the moments and think about how I’ve actually done well to be where I am.
“But I try not to reflect on it too much, maybe at the end of my career I’ll think, ‘Wow, I played Premier League football at a young age, and I broke into the first-team quite quickly when I came here’.”
On giving his all to Wolves
“Right now, I’m trying to play. That’s the aim. I want to try and get in this team and help this team to stay in the league – however I can do it.
“Whether it's playing, whether it’s training, however I can help this team stay in this division, that’s all I’m thinking about right now.”
