Wolves Boss O'Neil Signs New Four-Year Deal

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O'Neil and his backroom staff have signed new four-year contracts with the club.

The 41-year-old O'Neil, who previously managed Bournemouth, engaged in informal discussions about a new deal at the end of last season, reflecting the club's intent to secure a fresh contract. Alongside him, assistant head coach Tim Jenkins, first-team coaches Shaun Derry and Ian Burchnall, head of goalkeeping Neil Cutler, and first-team coach analyst Woody Dewar have also signed new agreements.

"I'm absolutely loving my time here," O'Neil stated. "My staff love it, my family love it, so it's felt a really special place for us over the past year and I'm looking forward to continuing the journey."

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi expressed confidence in the club's future, noting the importance of building a new cycle for growth and improved results. "To prepare for that, we need a very good team and I think Gary is a key member of the team, maybe even the most important member, so we are very happy to have him here for the long term," Shi said. He praised O'Neil's work ethic and humility, describing him as "maybe the humblest manager I have ever worked with and one of the most hard-working coaches I've ever met." He acknowledged O'Neil's tactical strengths and rapport with the players.

Under O'Neil's leadership, Wolves finished 14th in the Premier League last season after he took charge on August 9, just days before the 2023-24 season commenced. However, the team will be without winger Pedro Neto for the upcoming 2024-25 season, as the Portugal international is nearing a £54 million transfer to Chelsea.

O'Neil indicated that he, along with Shi and sporting director Matt Hobbs, still has "some bits to do in the transfer window" to enhance the squad. "I know we've done some good stuff and the ones who've arrived have really helped us, but we still need to do a bit of work on juggling a few things around to make us balanced," he added.