Joe Hodge has recently discussed his limited playing time at Wolves and how Gary O’Neil has addressed the situation with him. Hodge has only appeared once this season in the Carabao Cup against Blackpool, during which he suffered a hamstring injury and had to be substituted in the second half. After his injury, he was unavailable for several squad selections but later returned to the bench against Manchester City. However, he was omitted from the squad against Aston Villa, with Tommy Doyle taking his place on the bench.

Last week, Hodge hinted at the possibility of leaving Wolves in January if his involvement doesn’t increase. He has since revealed that he is eager to see more action on the field, and he is now fully fit and prepared to make a difference. Hodge acknowledges that Wolves have a strong pool of midfield options, but he hopes for a fair opportunity from O’Neil.

Hodge has also shared the nature of his conversations with the head coach regarding his current situation, stating, “He’s been alright, and we’ve had a couple of conversations. It’s difficult to have that when I’m not playing because the only thing on my mind is that I want to be playing football. When you see the team come up on the board every week and you’re not in it, it’s disappointing. So it’s hard to have that sort of relationship with him. Obviously, I’ve been injured, which is not his fault or my fault, but I want to be playing football. Gary knows that, and hopefully, I start getting some more minutes soon. If not, we know the option is there for January.”

Hodge’s straightforwardness about his situation is refreshing. It’s evident that he is dissatisfied with his current playing time at Wolves, and his determination to secure more minutes is admirable. However, he faces strong competition from players like Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes in midfield, along with waiting talents like Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Boubacar Traore. Additionally, the signing of Tommy Doyle further complicates Hodge’s prospects, making it unsurprising if he were to explore other options in January.