Connor Ronan eyes big year at Wolves

Hopes are high for the 19-year-old who has featured in every pre-season game so far and started the 1-0 win at Peterborough in midweek.

Amid a glut of summer signings including fellow midfielders Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota, Irish youth international Ronan has impressed new boss Nuno Espirito Santo. And he’s hoping it stays that way.

“Luckily he’s kept me around (the first team) so I’m trying to impress,” Ronan told the Express & Star.

“Starting that first game is my immediate target. Seeing those big names come in just helps. It is competition at the end of the day, but you don’t see it as competition, you see them as your team mates.

“We’re trying to get out the league and they’re going to help. If I can contribute with as many minutes as I can then that’s what I’ll do.

“Coming back to pre-season I wanted the gaffer to trust me to keep me in the first team and then from then on I’ve got to trust my own ability to try and impress him.

“This is my first season with the first team after getting a few pre-season games so it’s a big one.

“I’m hoping to get as many games as possible and try and work my way into the team.”

Ronan may have made only six first-team appearances to date but in pre-season tour terms he’s a veritable veteran having travelled to France in 2015 and Ireland in 2016.

After missing the end of last season with a stress fracture in his back the Rochdale-born midfielder regained fitness in plenty of time to start training on day one under Nuno.

And in contrast to the past two seasons he’s looking to carry on that first team involvement when the regular season gets underway on August 5.

“For me personally pre-season has become a regular thing now,” Ronan added. “The trip to Austria was my third pre-season trip. It’s always good to be involved but my aim for the season is to stay with the first team, not just make up numbers for the pre-season tour.

“I’ve done a few pre-seasons now with the first team and then faded away in the season or ended up with the under-18s or under-23s.

“Having that off season helped because it gave me more time than I actually needed to get back. Nothing was rushed.

“I’m feeling good on the pitch, feeling fit and sharp, so I can’t wait for the season to start.”

Ronan has featured as a left-sided forward and a central midfielder under Nuno so far.

He prefers the latter, but will happily play anywhere as he eyes up a place in the starting XI.

“I’ve been playing a bit more in front of the midfield two. I was back into central midfield against Peterborough where I probably prefer to play.

“Wherever I get put, if it’s in the first team I’m happy to play anywhere to help the team.

“Coming into pre-season I was just focused on central midfield because I didn’t know what formation we’d be playing, or how we’ll be playing.

“The system allows me to play those positions so if he needs me to play central midfield or a bit more forward, I can do that as well. I’m happy to play anywhere.

“(Nuno has) come in with different ideas, different ways of training and it’s just about the boys getting used to it. And then the tour obviously helped a lot because it’s just football, football, football all the way through.

“It’s just getting used to that. I think all the boys are. It’s starting to come together on the pitch. I think against Peterborough we showed his ideas coming through a bit more.

“Hopefully come the start of the season we’ll be ready to go."