Under-21 Squad Contract Decisions

Details of players retained for next season

Wolves have announced details of the Under-21 players who will be receiving new contract offers ahead of the 2016/17 season.

Of those due to be out of contract this summer, goalkeeper Jon Flatt, defenders Aaron Simpson and Aaron Hayden, midfielder Connor Hunte and striker Donovan Wilson will all have their one year options exercised by Wolves.

Defenders Anthony Breslin, Regan Upton and Ben O’Hanlon, midfielder Ryan Rainey and striker Bradley Reid have been offered new one year contracts with a further one year option in Wolves’ favour.

Players who will not have their options taken up or be offered fresh terms comprise defender Ashley Carter, defender/midfielder Tendai Matinyadze, and midfielders Declan Weeks, Callum Harris, Jim Kellermann and Eusebio Bancessi.

“These are always very difficult decisions which involve extensive discussions between members of the coaching staff at all levels of the Club,” said Head of Football Development and Recruitment Kevin Thelwell.

“We think a great deal of all of the lads mentioned, and we all work together to make what we believe are the right decisions both for them and the Club going forward.

“To those lads who will not be getting fresh contract offers, we thank them for all their efforts during their time with us and wish them well for the future, for which we will be offering them all our guidance and support in terms of trying to find them other Clubs.

“For those lads who are staying at the Club or have been offered new contracts, we look forward to continuing to work with them and seeing them develop and improve.

“Our Under-21 set-up is an integral part of the pathway in place at Wolves, which has helped bring players like Dominic Iorfa, Kortney Hause and Jordan Graham through into the first team in recent seasons.

“That now becomes the target for those players with us again next season, to try and follow in their footsteps and impress sufficiently to secure a first team opportunity.”

Under-21 coach Scott Sellars knows what it is like to be released having not been offered a deal at Leeds as a youngster, before going on to enjoy a excellent playing career.

“It isn’t really an enjoyable time of the year,” says Sellars.

“I have been in that position myself as a young player when you are after another contract and want to stay and a lot of the lads have been with us for a number of years.

“The decisions taken are probably based on the last two years, not just a year, and we look at how close they have got to the first team, and also what is coming through below with what is a really good Under-18s group at the moment.

“Sometimes you have to be fair to players who are maybe not going to get through here and they can then aim to go off and find a contract somewhere else.

“Ultimately we want these lads to have a career in football.

“Obviously here at Wolves is the aim but if that doesn’t happen and they go off somewhere else and get a league debut then we take a lot of pleasure out of that as well.

“The last thing we always say to them is ‘go and prove us wrong’.

“There are lots of players who have been let go – I have been one of them and I have seen many others – who have still gone on to enjoy successful careers.

“Myself and Denis Irwin were both released by Leeds at the same time.

“I went to Blackburn for 20 grand and Denis went on to become one of the most decorated footballers of all time with Manchester United.

“Football is all about opinions and all the lads can do is take that opinion and go and prove people wrong.

“For the lads who will be staying with us next season the next target is to get closer towards the first team or get out on loan.

“And then ultimately it is to get another contract – that is the business and that is the job.

“Being able to carry on doing well and doing the job that they love has to be the aim for all the players.”