Express & Star

Bully: A relief to see Wolves internationals return safely

It’s my birthday today, and a good present is that Wolves’ intentional contingent seems to be coming back safe and sound.

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Nuno would have been crossing his fingers, wishing for his 10 players who have been representing their countries across the world to return unscathed.

And some of them have done really well, giving their confidence an extra boost, so you cannot really ask for any more than that.

Leander Dendoncker has managed to transfer his form for Wolves to Belgium, having played every minute of their two wins over the past week.

Morgan Gibbs-White, who is still only just starting out in his career, got a goal for England Under-19s so, hopefully, that can spur him on to open his account for us soon.

Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Raul Jimenez, Matt Doherty, Romain Saiss and Ruben Vinagre all got game time in some form as well.

Diogo Jota did not make his Portugal debut on the back of his first senior call-up and will, of course, be disappointed, but time is firmly on his side and, from a selfish point of view, that’s great for us, having him fresh for Burnley and the massive FA Cup semi-final against Watford.

It has been announced this week Wolves are off to China in the summer too for the Premier League Asia Trophy – another exciting step for the club.

It’s a very adventurous move, one we may not have made had we been struggling towards the bottom this season, but it’s something to look forward to, especially for the owners.

The four-team tournament also involving Manchester City, Newcastle and West Ham is a chance for Fosun to show us off in their homeland, and it’s great exposure for us as we look to become a proper force in the top flight in the years to come.

We all know how great things have been over these past couple of years, and it will always be a club with the local community at heart, but let’s hope a few more people can see what we are all about and become a part of this thrilling ride we’re on.