Wolverhampton Wanderers news from BirminghamLive as Nathan rFrase is promoted to the first team squad
Nathan Fraser could still go out on loan in January after being officially added to the Wolves first team squad.
The 18 year old, from Tettenhall, has been rewarded for impressive performances with the under-21s and while training with the Gary O’Neil’s senior squad. His efforts also include taking his opportunity in the Carabao Cup at home to Blackpool three weeks ago when he came off the bench to set up a goal and score another in the 5-0 win
There was plenty of interest in taking Fraser on loan before the September 1 deadline, with Shrewsbury among the clubs linked. But Wolves decided to hang on to Fraser because they needed cover and competition for senior centre forwards Sasa Kalajdzic, Fabio Silva and Matheus Cunha. However, signing another striker in January could free up Fraser to go on loan.
Talking about the youngster’s development, sporting director Matt Hobbs told the Wolves Express there are a couple of options. He said: “the next step is to get minutes. He might get lots, he might not get very many at all and he might be training regularly with the first team and then getting a lot of minutes with the under-21s still. Or, he might go in there for a bit and they see lots of him but want him to go out and play more men’s football so he ends up going out on loan. The path is still open as to what it looks like.
“Max Kilman has shown you how a player can develop into a Premier League player by training with better players every day at the intensity. When Pedro (Neto) came he gradually increased his minutes as well. So, that is possible.
“But he can do two journeys. He can start off doing Max’s journey but because he is a centre forward and maybe that is slightly different, with goals and staying in that sort of form and those good habits, it might mean of he is not getting a lot of minutes that Gaz decides to send him on loan in January and that is the best thing for him
Or he comes in and becomes a regular player for him. So, I think he could have two different journeys while he finds his way through.”
Hobbs says Fraser has earned his chance with his performances at youth level. They were obvious last week when he scored in the under-21s 2-1 win at a senior Notts County side in the opening group game of the EFL Trophy.
He added: “I think Nathan is a boy who has always made the absolute most of his ability, dedicated to being a professional footballer and getting the most out of himself so it is a real testament that he gets this opportunity to be part of the squad.
“His next challenge now is to earn minutes on the pitch and try to solidify himself as part of that squad. So, great reward for what he has done to date The cliché is that now the hard work starts but realistically now his job is to show he deserves to get minutes in the first team.
