Exclusive interview: Matt Doherty so happy to be home at Wolves

Over a decade, Doherty became a key cog in several Wolves teams – but most importantly he was the flying wing-back in Nuno Espirito Santo’s wildly successful Championship-winning side that burst onto the Europa League scene.

“Nuno, when he first came in, changed everything pretty much straight away,” Doherty told the Express & Star.

“Me and Coads (Conor Coady) had been there a while and it would have been easy for him to go a different way, but he changed the formation and our positions. He had the vision and insight for that.

“He changed the whole mentality around the place and most of what’s happened is down to him and his coaching.

“My time at Wolves with Nuno was amazing.”

Doherty’s first stay with Wolves came to an end in 2020 when he made a £15million move to Spurs, and a mixed spell in London followed by a short stint with Spanish side Atletico Madrid, saw Doherty become a free agent this summer.

A chance encounter with Wolves’ sporting director Matt Hobbs on the golf course set the wheels in motion and, after three years away, the defender has returned to Molineux.

Now 31-years-old, as far as Doherty is concerned he is returning a much better player.

He added: “I loved being at Spurs. I miss some of the relationships I have there – it was a great place to work with some great managers and great players.

“My three years away, in my mind, has been very successful. I’ve managed to meet new people, learn different things and different sides of the game.

“Obviously you want to, but you don’t have to play every single game to deem it successful. I wouldn’t change anything of my three years away, apart from the obvious of playing more.

“There’s not much I’d change, I really had a great time.

“I’m definitely a different player. Mentally I know a lot more now than I did then, physically I’ve improved and tactically also – look at the managers I’ve been able to work with.

“The challenge for me is to try to replicate everything I’ve learned and put it onto the pitch.”

After such a successful 10-year spell, it is understandable that some people in Doherty’s close circle would have reservations over him returning.

But not only is he coming back an improved player for his experiences elsewhere, but Doherty’s strong character means he sticks by his decisions – as he insists he did not need any advice over whether Wolves was a smart move for him.

“I didn’t get any advice, I make my own decisions,” he added.

“I spoke to some friends, but most things I’ve done in my life so far on and off the pitch, I’ll make the final decision.

“My family back home love Wolves but they didn’t want me to come back with the potential of ruining what I had before, but it’s grown on them quite a bit.

“Once you get going, the league starts and you start playing games, they’ll realise it’s good.

“For my own family, I still have my house in Aldridge, so for that reason it was easy to come back.

“For me was the most important thing – that I was happy coming back.

“It’s been really easy to settle in. A lot of lads and a lot of the staff are still the same.

“Even the players that I’ve never seen before know that I was here before, and it just feels like I’ve been here for ages already, so it’s been good.

“For me personally, everywhere I’ve been I’ve always managed to get on with almost everybody in the squad.

“I’m quite good at mingling around different groups and getting to know people.

“The camaraderie is very good, it’s very close-knit. We hang out with each other in the evenings, playing some games, and there’s a very good team atmosphere.”

Since Doherty was last in the gold and black shirt, Nuno has departed, Bruno Lage has been and gone and Julen Lopetegui has masterminded an escape from relegation danger.

The defender admits, having watched Wolves from afar, that the club has not had the easiest time of it in recent years.

Having worked under Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone, Doherty is now relishing the opportunity to work with Lopetegui.

He said: “His resumé speaks for itself. I’ve not had much time with him, but from what I’ve heard and what I believe watching from afar, he’s going to be a superb coach to work with.

“I spoke to him before I signed and he was a good reason why I came with, with the way he spoke to me. When I had the chance to come back you do wonder if it’ll be the same as before, and it may or may not be, so he was a big part of that.

“He’s telling me to take my time, step by step, with a different style of play. But he believes in me and thinks I can be even better in a back four than a back five.

“You want to feel like the manager has confidence in you and believes in you, it’s very important.

“As most people know, confidence in any walk of life can make the difference. His belief in me was a good reason why I wanted to come back and the confidence he’s instilled in me.”

Sat in Wolves’ team hotel during pre-season and sporting a nasty wound on his leg sustained during the gruelling training routine, Doherty does not portray a player that needs any confidence instilling.

Assured and determined, he cuts a friendly but focused figure.

But when it comes to pressure, he is laid back. As a player, Doherty has been there and done it, and he is now free to enjoy his football.

“No, I don’t have to prove anything I don’t think,” Doherty added.

“I just have to play well and do what I’ve normally done in the past. Everyone knows what I can do when we had that great time a few years ago, but also throughout my whole Wolves career I’ve played relatively well and consistently. For me, I want to continue doing the same thing.

“I’m 31 now, and you want to do well for your own personal pride, but I don’t feel under pressure. I’m not tense going out there to do well.

“Most of the time if you’re relaxed and free, you’ll naturally play well. We’re obviously all good enough to be here, so we’ll play well more often than not.”

When asked if his attitude now is different to when he was younger, Doherty added: “Yeah, you’re trying to find your way and make it to the top.

“If you have quite a long period of time being there, you build up all that confidence and belief in yourself. Even if you do have tougher times, eventually it will come back around and you’ll get your feeling back.”

Throughout his 10-year Wolves career, Doherty has played both right-back and right-wing-back, as well as a stint at left-back.

Of course, his best spell came under Nuno in a back five, but the Irishman has found himself being doubted as a full-back.

Doherty has impressed in each of his pre-season appearances, whether from the bench or the start, and the player is seemingly perplexed over the question marks at his full-back capabilities.

“It’ll be a different position but the full-back role these days is a lot more advanced than it used to be,” he said. “You can have midfielders dropping in and creating a back three when you’re building up. There’s different ways to find yourself in the box and creating chances.

“My natural game is obviously offensive and in a back four you can’t commit yourself as much, but it’s not going to stop me trying to help the team in a creative way.

“I was a full-back forever before we changed to a back three under Nuno. It was the first time I played wing-back and it worked out pretty well.

“I played left-back for two years in a back four at Wolves. It was the Championship but the Championship back then was a quite a good league and it wasn’t easy.

“Playing full-back is obviously different to wing-back, but I’ve had enough experience to adapt.”

With all of his experience, confidence and determination to play for Wolves, Nelson Semedo still stands in Doherty’s way.

The Portuguese was ironically Wolves’ big money replacement for Doherty and while he has had good moments, has been unable to replicate the same consistency that Doherty had in a Wolves shirt.

In a tight-knit group that spends time together away from the pitch, has it ever surfaced that Semedo, the replacement, is now battling it out with the old guard?

“It hasn’t come at all and I don’t think it ever will,” Doherty laughed.

“That stuff happens. When I left to go, I took somebody else’s spot and when I leave somebody takes mine, that’s what happens in the game. We haven’t spoken a lot because I’d never met him before, but I’m sure we’ll get on well and support each other for whoever plays, unless we both play.

“It depends if you want to change shape for a certain game and I’m pretty comfortable playing on both sides in a four or in a five.

“I’ve always backed my own ability to do that and nothing has changed in the three years I’ve gone.”

Doherty’s love affair with Wolves has another unexpected chapter to come with the Premier League season under way this week.

With his second debut on the horizon, the defender is focusing on the team and righting the wrongs of last season.

He said: “I don’t have any personal goals this season, I don’t know if I ever do. You want to have a great season, every season.

“I want to play as many games as I can and obviously you want the team to do as well as possible. It’s more of a team goal than a personal goal.”