Mick McCarthy won't abandon hope over Olofinjana

Jul 18 2008 By Brian Halford

MICK McCarthy expects Seyi Olofinjana to fulfil his long-held ambition of playing Premier League football in the near future.

But while asserting Olofinjana is a Premier League player "all day long", the Wolves manager has not abandoned all hope of having the midfielder's top-flight talents on board at Molineux next season.

The Nigerian is expected to join a Premier League club, with Hull City and Wigan among those interested, before the new season.

He asked Wolves to activate the agreement they reached when he signed his last contract at Wolves - that if they failed to gain promotion they would allow him to leave if a top-flight club came in.

No deal has been done yet, though, as Olifinjana prepares to return from his belated summer break. He will report to Compton on Monday (he is not going to Scotland with the rest of the squad tomorrow) after four weeks off to recharge from a busy summer of international action with Nigeria.

McCarthy still expects to lose the player. But, in football, you never say never.

"Seyi is supposedly going," said McCarthy said. "And I think he will go because when other clubs have had a look around at everyone else they will realise what a good play Seyi Olofinjana is and what he brings to a football club.

"I would be sad to lose him but I understood that was a possibility when we did the deal last season. He wants to play in the Prermier League and he is a Premier League player all day long. But with the others players we have got here, it would be great if Seyi is still around. I would be delighted to still have him, although I don't think it will happen."

Olofinjana's future remains undecided but Wolves' chink of hope of retaining him will not be harmed by them honouring their agreement to let him go if an appropriate club makes an offer.

* Wolves' home game with Bristol City on September 27 will kick off at 12.30pm at the request of West Midlands Police.