The midfielder came on for the second 45 at Stamford Bridge last Saturday to become the latest academy star to make his first team bow in the old gold. Hodge joined Wolves from Manchester City last summer, where he signed at the age of nine and rose through the system. Having made his Ireland under-21s debut in the most recent international break, Hodge has experienced a whirlwind few weeks in his emerging footballing career and admits it has given him an appetite for more.
It's always a proud moment seeing a senior debut. 👏
— Wolves Academy (@WolvesAcademy) October 11, 2022
Congratulations, Joe Hodge!
🎓💫 pic.twitter.com/X0IwXDeetG
On making his Premier League debut
“I loved it. It’s what I’ve been aiming for and I’m just really grateful that I got the opportunity on the weekend to do something I’ve been working towards for a long time.
“It was a bit of a surprise because I only trained with the first team a couple of times last week. I was preparing for the game that we had against Liverpool (under-21s) on the Saturday and then I was lucky enough to train with them a couple of times.
“Leading into the game I got told I was going to be in the squad, so it all came round pretty quickly.”
On whether he expected to come on
“Not really to be honest. If you look at the boys who were out there, they have played a lot of games.
“I was just grateful to be in the squad and thankful to be there. I was hoping that I’d get on, but it was still a huge decision for Steve (Davis) and James (Collins) to make and trust me for that second half.
“I wasn’t expecting anything – any minutes would have been a bonus.”
On coming on for the whole second half
“That was good for me, the longer I get the better for me. Steve told me at half-time I was going to come on so I was buzzing, and I couldn’t wait to get on.
“All of the tactical instructions were given to me and then I was told to enjoy it and trust myself because I’ve earnt it. They pretty much told me to go out and show what I can do.
“We were 1-0 down and obviously we wanted to take something – we were still in the game at that point. The first 20 minutes of the second half we did that and took it to them a little bit.
“We had a lot of the ball around the box and then it became a lot tougher once they got the second. I was trying to help get us back in the game, do what I could and play my part.”
On playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
“The level of opposition was top. They’re all top footballers but I was just focused on competing and showing what I could do. I wasn’t really too bothered by whatever names I was up against.
“It’s the biggest stadium I’ve played at and the biggest attendance, so it was good.”
On a whirlwind few days and wanting more
“It’s all been a bit mad. I got a bit of luck with Steve and James taking over but you just never know when it’s going to come.
“I had no idea it was going to happen. I’ve just been keeping my head down working for however long.
“I still feel like there’s more to come, but it’s a good start and I’m delighted that I got to play in the Premier League for this club.
“It just shows that if you keep your head down and keep working, eventually you might get that bit of luck you need.
“Thankfully I got it last weekend and I tried to take it as best I could, but it shows there are people watching your performances each week.”
On how his family felt
“Everyone was delighted. All their help and everything they’ve done for me to get there – it was just a build-up of all of that and they were delighted. I couldn’t be any more thankful to them for everything they’ve done to get me anywhere close to this.”
