Kenny Jackett plans to blood young Wolves stars
Kenny Jackett today insisted Wolves' young guns will be given every chance to prove they can score the goals to fire them out of League One.
The club have parted company with 15-goal top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake but taken up the option on Leigh Griffiths, who scored 28 on loan at Hibernian last season.
Head coach Jackett is keen to assess 22-year-olds Bjorn Sigurdarson and Griffiths, Jake Cassidy, 20, who scored 11 goals in 26 League One games for Tranmere last term, and 19-year-old homegrown prospect Liam McAlinden, who made his breakthrough at the end of the season.
"There are some very good young players here ready to play in the first team and indeed that have been playing in the first team," said Jackett.
"That's a positive. I think our forward line with some of the younger players is very promising. Leigh Griffiths is an exciting player and I'm looking forward to seeing him and working with him.
"Jake Cassidy did well in League One last year and Liam McAlinden got in at Wolves just at the end and is an honest lad. Bjorn Sigurdarson is also still only 22, and in terms of young players, there are four straight away and it will be very interesting to see how they respond.
"In the long term hopefully we'll see the continuation of good young players coming through balanced with hitting the ground running and being successful in the short term."
Jackett has ruled out a return for Molineux old boy Andy Keogh, who he took to Milllwall from Molineux in January 2012 for £500,000. "Andy Keogh is under contract at Millwall and I wouldn't have thought that's something we would be looking at," he said.
McAlinden, who hails from Cannock but has reportedly switched allegiance from Northern Ireland to the Republic, is determined to grab his chance.
"I heard the new head coach had mentioned he knew about me and that was really good to hear," he said.
"I've been making sure I have kept myself fit during the close season so I can come back and try to impress."
Meanwhile, Steve Lomas has been named Jackett's successor at Millwall.
The former St Johnstone manager has agreed terms and will start work when he returns from holiday next week.
