Ireland's Matt Doherty has returned to Wolves on a free transfer. The Ireland defender had moved to Atletico Madrid in January from Spurs but struggled to secure a place in Diego Simeone's side. During his time at Atletico, he only featured twice and has now rejoined Wolves for the second time in his career.
Doherty has signed a three-year deal with the club where he enjoyed his best years. He initially joined Wolves from League of Ireland side Bohemian's in 2010 and went on to make 302 appearances for the team between 2010 and 2020, scoring 28 goals. After this he left to join Tottenham Hotspurs. However, his move to Spurs did not result in much game time, prompting his subsequent move to Spain.
As the seventh signing of the summer for Wolves, Doherty's return is part of Julen Lopetegui's efforts to reshape the squad after their 13th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Speaking about his move back to Molineux, Doherty expressed his delight in reuniting with some old faces and getting to know new ones. He also shared that returning to Wolves felt somewhat familiar since he had spent a significant portion of his career at the club and had fond memories there.
✍️ How the signing happened
🤝 The manager's view
🐺 Matt's hunger to return
Sporting director Matt Hobbs breaks down the Doherty deal.
🗣🗞— Wolves (@Wolves) July 20, 2023
“It’s been great. Obviously, it’s a little bit strange, seeing some old faces as well as a lot of new ones – I think there is only five players here who were there the last time, so it is a bit strange. But once I get training and everything like that, it will all be fine,"said Doherty.
“I’d been here a long time and had some great times here as well. I still have my house here in the midlands and I’ve been able to move straight back into that, so everything has been running really smoothly.
“My kids were brought up here and my first was born during the first pre-season when Nuno arrived, so it’s kind of all that I’ve known really.”
Wolves Sporting Director, Matt Hobbs, also expressed his joy at Doherty's return and emphasised the strength in depth that the club now possesses at fullback. He highlighted that Doherty's hunger to prove himself again, combined with his familiarity with the club and the fans' expectations, will be a valuable asset.
We’re really happy Matt’s back and he’s one the manager really wanted when he knew he was available," said Hobbs. "After Spurs and Atletico Madrid, he’s hungry to prove himself again, and will add strength in depth to the full-back area, providing competition and making us better in those positions.
“He knows the club and what it means to play here – he’s been successful at Wolves before and knows what the fans want. For us, it’s another homegrown player, but one who can share his knowledge and the required standards across the group, so he will be able to slot back in no problem.”
The upcoming Premier League season will see Wolves facing Manchester United on the opening day. The game is scheduled for Monday, August 16
