Wolves fans have been pleasantly surprised this season seeing how well the team has done under Gary O’Neil, and the club have now opened the voting for the Player of the Season award – and it’s safe to say there are a few contenders.
O’Neil arrived at Molineux just days before the new season, stepping into the hot seat after Julen Lopetegui walked away.
Many tipped Wolves to be fighting for their Premier League lives.
But there have never been any worries about a relegation battle thanks to the brilliant job O’Neil has done, and there remains an outside chance of European football with three games to go.
Many players have seriously improved under O’Neil, which is potentially going to make the vote for Player of the Season very tight.
Here are some of the contenders for the award, which fans can cast their vote here…
Mario Lemina
Mario Lemina has been outstanding – not just this season, but from the moment he signed.
There has been a lot to like about Wolves this term from an attacking sense, but the Gabon international is the heartbeat of the team and runs his socks off every single game.
Lemina is the warrior the Wolves midfield had been crying out for, and he is a major influence in the team both on and off the pitch.
We’ve seen him play everywhere this term amid injuries to key players, and he would be a very deserving winner of the Player of the Season award.
Matheus Cunha
Matheus Cunha has gone to a new level this season under O’Neil. He took some time to find his feet in English football, but the Brazilian has shown this season why he cost so much money, although Wolves did still overpay.
Cunha is a supreme talent, and is amazing to watch in full flow. His ball-carrying ability is fantastic, and he has now improved his end product. With 13 goals and eight assists to his name so far across all competitions, Cunha has been a vital player for Wolves.
The team really missed him when he sustained a ‘significant’ hamstring injury earlier this year.
But he’s back now, and is simply a joy to watch.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
What a campaign it’s been for Ait-Nouri, who now finds himself one of Wolves’ best players.
He was frozen out last term by Lopetegui and there was even some talk of him leaving the club in the summer. Seemingly, the Spaniard just didn’t seem to rate Ait-Nouri all that highly. Thankfully, O’Neil got his arm around him and has worked with him a lot.
The maverick Algerian has responded extremely well to this show of faith, and he now finds himself very coveted.
Hopefully, he doesn’t leave this summer, because he still has plenty of room to develop and increase his market value.
Hwang Hee-chan
Hwang Hee-chan had some tough moments in his first couple of seasons at Wolves, and he didn’t always have the faith of the supporters.
But he’s always worked hard for the team and this term, he has really gone to a new level.
The South Korean has been brilliant in front of goal, scoring 11 times in the Premier League. And as of now, he has the third-best conversion rate of the top scorers in the division (via BBC Sport).
The hardest thing to do in football is score goals, and Hwang – despite not being an out-and-out striker – has had a superb campaign and contributed to a lot of victories and points. He has to be in with a shout of winning Player of the Season.
Honourable mentions – Max Kilman, Joao Gomes, Nelson Semedo & Pedro Neto.