Rob Edwards challenges loan defender to break into Wolves team
Could the defender get his Wolves chance?
Rob Edwards has revealed Nigel Lonwijk will be given a chance to impress in pre-season as he challenges the defender to prove he is good enough to play for Wolves.
The 23-year-old signed a new one-year contract extension at Wolves last summer, taking his deal to 2027, before joining Luton on loan where he played 45 times in all competitions.
Since the conclusion of the League One season, Lonwijk has been back training with Wolves alongside fellow loanees Tommy Doyle and Tawanda Chirewa.
“Nigel has had a number of games at Luton this season and it was good to see him and see him in the environment,” Edwards said.
“He'll have the pre-season to be around us as well.
“Tawanda we knew anyway when he went out in January. It’s been a bit more difficult for him this season because of the injuries and a very stop-start sort of season for him.
“It’s been good to have them back for the last few weeks of training.”
Lonwijk is yet make his senior debut for Wolves but he has now had three seasons in League One, from his six loans away from Wolves, having also represented Huddersfield Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle.
He won the third tier title with Plymouth in 2022/23, playing 41 times, and when asked if his natural progression is to play for Wolves in the Championship next season, Edwards added: “Certainly that's what he's going to want and that's how he will see things as well.
“The challenge then is for him to be able to show us, which is great, he's going to have that opportunity and then we will see.
“We want to build a really, really good squad, competitive and able to take on what is a really challenging league.
“He's made a really good first impression and time will tell.”
Other than Lonwijk, Doyle and Chirewa, no other loanee has returned to Wolves to train in the remaining weeks of the Premier League season, following the conclusion of their campaigns with their loan club.
That includes Ki-Jana Hoever, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Sheffield United.
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