Wolverhampton Wanderers are making great strides with their academy system, but when it boils down to it, they have very little to show for it.
Morgan Gibbs-White is one that bucked the trend at a very early age but since then, there has been a serious lack of youth bred through into the first-team.
In some ways, you can count Max Kilman following his most recent breakthrough into the starting XI, although non-league outfit Maidenhead United take the majority of the credit there.
Well, if Nuno Santo is on alert, then the Midlanders may have uncovered their best gem since the aforementioned Gibbs-White in fellow midfield prospect Taylor Perry, who continues to light it up in the U23 squad.
Earlier this week, the 19-year-old sensation bagged his fourth goal in his last three matches, banging home a superb free-kick during a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace U23s – even despite not starting the match.
“I don’t really work on them, it just comes naturally. Whenever you get a free-kick around the box, there’s always a chance and today I pulled it off again, so it’s great for me.”
– Taylor Perry on his goal.
Speaking after the match, Perry’s head coach James Collins said:
“TP’s unbelievably unfortunate not to play really because he’s been excellent as of late, but we felt that with the boys we had back from the first-team group, that was the best way to go
“Those are the great learning things that you don’t see, but are important, so we felt they should play, but TP was unlucky not to start but has come on and scored. He’s probably our best goal threat at the moment.”
A midfield dynamo with phenomenal set-piece ability? That sounds very much like a certain Joao Moutinho and given he’s getting on a bit at 34, perhaps Perry can be developed with the intentions to replace him in the near future.
The Portuguese playmaker is certainly ageing like a fine wine in terms of quality, but it can’t hurt to plan for when that day eventually comes.
Perry has already featured three times for the senior side, the latest coming in last season’s Carabao Cup defeat to local rivals Aston Villa. but the young maestro impressed.
Express & Star reporter Joe Edwards graded his performance a 7/10, and said: “Did not have the best of starts but recovered by showing great determination to win the ball off Luiz and get a shot off, which Cutrone poked in for Wolves’ goal.”
Nuno must look to Perry, his best prospect since Gibbs-White, going forward.
AND in other news, Nuno must unleash £36m-rated Wolves MONSTER against Palace TONIGHT…
