Rob Edwards challenges loan defender Nigel Lonwijk to earn Wolves spot in pre-season | OneFootball

Rob Edwards says Nigel Lonwijk will be given a pre-season chance to impress and prove he is good enough for Wolves. According to ExpressAndStar.com, he will be with the group in pre-season.

The 23-year-old signed a one-year extension last summer, taking his deal to 2027, then spent the season on loan at Luton, making 45 appearances in all competitions. Since the League One season ended, he has trained back at Wolves with fellow loanees Tommy Doyle and Tawanda Chirewa.

Edwards highlighted Lonwijk’s substantial minutes at Luton and said it had been useful to have him around the group. He added Chirewa’s campaign had been disrupted by injuries and welcomed their return to training in recent weeks.

Lonwijk is still awaiting his senior Wolves debut. He has had three League One seasons across six loans, featuring for Huddersfield Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle, and helped Plymouth win the third tier in 2022/23 with 41 outings.

Asked if the natural next step is Wolves in the Championship next season, Edwards said that is how the player sees it. He stressed the challenge is to prove it, that he will have the opportunity, and that time will tell. He also said Lonwijk had made a strong first impression.

Edwards outlined a desire to build a competitive squad for a demanding league. He said no other loanees, beyond Lonwijk, Doyle and Chirewa, have returned to train in the final weeks of the Premier League season after their club campaigns ended.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com