NUNO’S GLORY BOYS

Ex-wanderer Foley says club primed for next level & Champions League is ultimate goal

LIFE at Wolves became a grind for Kevin Foley when battling for survival in the Premier League was the name of the game.

These days it’s all about the glory at Molineux as the Wanderers embark on what their former defender feels could be a golden era.

Backed by their ambitious Chinese owners Fosun International, with strong ties to super agent Jorge Mendes, and with an astute manager in Nuno Espirito Santo, for Wolves a new dawn beckons, according to Foley.

“Anyone I speak to in the team and staff say how the manager is such a good motivator. There is confidence in him and in the staff around him,” he said.

“They are challenging for a Champions League place while juggling the extra Europa League games – it’s clear the manager is so important to what they want to do.

“They now seem like they are building towards the Champions League. That’s the ultimate goal and they are working their way to get there. It’s one thing to have millions behind you but it’s another thing to actually spend them wisely.

“Yet you would be hard pressed to look at any of the players they have brought in and say ‘that’s a waste of money.’ They have been very shrewd.”

Fortunes

Wolves had to play it smart during Foley’s time too, but for a very different reason.

After securing promotion to the Premier League under Mick Mccarthy in 2009, they managed to survive two seasons in the top flight before suffering relegation at the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

It was only when Fosun took the helm that their fortunes changed considerably and Foley, now coaching in America with Tampa Bay Rowdies after leaving his role with his former club’s academy, is excited to watch from afar.

“Wolves are next level now. When we came up we knew we would be scrapping for it. Nothing changed by that third year,” the ex-republic of Ireland international said.

“When you first go up and are playing in the Premier League you think ‘this is great, this is amazing.’ But the tone quickly changes.

“Then it becomes about getting a win, getting a draw, doing whatever is needed to get the result.

“It is a grind, of course it is, but you still want to be a part of it, you still want to stay up because at the end you just want another year in the Premier League.

“We had to change to keep doing that, we had no choice.

“We came up from the Championship where we were dominating games and rolling teams over. Suddenly you are playing much better teams and you have to change, you can’t play the game the way you wanted.

“But that’s the job, you’re a footballer and you have to adjust and be professional.

“It’s just a shame we couldn’t kick on like the club are now.”