Mick McCarthy Claims Wolves Ace Matt Doherty Is Among Best Right Wing Backs in the Premier League
Former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has claimed one of his former signings Matt Doherty is now among the best right wing backs in the Premier League.
The 27-year-old has three goals and four assists from that position in the Premier League this season, showing his qualities in both attack and defence.
Wolves have enjoyed an excellent return to the top flight, proving one of the surprise packages of the season. The Black Country outfit are one of the favourites to secure that coveted seventh spot and potential European football next season.
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Wanderers' meteoric rise is due largely to some hefty investment on top level talent like Raul Jimenez, Rui Patricio and Joao Moutinho. The club has undergone a seismic change in the past two years with 20 of the current squad making their debuts for Wolves in that time.
There are still a couple of stalwarts in Wolves' starting line up though, in captain Conor Coady and the aforementioned Doherty - the latter brought to the club by McCarthy in 2010. Speaking to the Express and Star, the current Republic of Ireland boss heaped praise on his former signing.
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"I could argue he's [Doherty] the best right wing-back in the Premier League,” McCarthy said. “He's the most efficient and he gets goals and he's been brilliant.
"I'll take the credit for signing him for £100,000! What a good player he's turned out to be. He was very promising when I signed him from Bohemians. He didn't break into the team with me [but] I always thought he had the promise and the ability.”
McCarthy will have the chance to reap the benefits of that potential when he links up with the Republic of Ireland international again in his new role in charge of the national team.
He continued by suggesting that a key part of the Doherty's development came from Wolves’ consecutive relegations adding: "The best thing for him was Wolves being relegated into League One because then he played. And then he's progressed wonderfully well to become an international football.”
