Former boss makes Wolves comment after landing new Premier League role

Gary O'Neil made a comment about his former club Wolves during his first press conference after being appointed Ipswich Town boss.

Ipswich have appointed O’Neil as their new manager as they prepare for a return to the Premier League. The 43-year-old joins from French club Strasbourg, signing a three-year deal.

After taking charge of Wolves in August 2023, O’Neil guided the club to a 14th-place finish in the Premier League and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. He was sacked in December 2024 with Wolves sitting 19th in the table.

Speaking after his arrival in Suffolk, O'Neil referenced the differences between Ipswich and his former club.

He said: “I learned a lot from the Wolves spell. That's a club run very, very differently to this one.

“That's why I'm here and why I was so keen to take over here.”

O’Neil was at Wolves while Jeff Shi served as executive chairman. Shi has since stepped down from the role, with Nathan Shi taking over.

O’Neil's final match in charge of Wolves was a 2-1 home defeat against Ipswich. It was Wolves' fourth consecutive league defeat and their 11th loss in 16 league matches.

During his first season at Molineux, he oversaw memorable victories against Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, a dramatic FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Coventry City denied Wolves a trip to Wembley and proved to be a turning point in his tenure. Despite signing a new long-term contract, he was dismissed less than a year later.