Gleeson unsure of long-term Wolves future

STEPHEN GLEESON remains unsure about his long term future at Wolves but an impressive display for Ireland’s U-21s against Germany on Tuesday night will go some way towards reassuring him he has a future in the game.

He is under contract with the Championship club until 2010 but admits that it’s last chance saloon to impress at the Molineux outfit.

“I’ve just signed a new year-long extension last week,” he said after the 1-1 draw at Turner’s Cross. “Hopefully after this week I’m looking to get back out on loan. When I go back to Wolves then in the summer, I think it’s my last chance there. If it happens, it happens – if it doesn’t I’ll move on. But we’ll see what happens. I’ll be getting back out on loan in the next week or two.

“My agent is on it and the club is looking out. I need to be playing first-team football, especially leading up to the next two internationals. You want to be as fit as you can to stay in the team and I definitely want to stay in the team so I need to be playing games. And hopefully by playing games I can stay in the team.

“It’s been tough for me because I’ve been out on loan and I think I did really well at Stockport. But I never really got that chance at Wolves. I feel it’s just about one chance and if I get it I think I’ll take it.

“I’ve never doubted my ability. I’ve always thought I could play in the Wolves team and I still think I can play in the first-team there. Hopefully if I get the chance I can prove it to the gaffer (Mick McCarthy) at Wolves and hopefully stay there. But I just need a chance.”

Tuesday deprived Gleeson of a first opportunity to play alongside the much-hyped James McCarthy — but a late reshuffle to the three-man midfield heralded Sunderland’s David Meyler’s introduction to this level. And the ex-Cork City player didn’t hide from his chance.

“I first met David on Sunday and we gelled well. I thought we complimented each other and we did a job for the team and I thought we did well.

“In the second-half they were on top a bit possession-wise but they didn’t create anything clear-cut and in the first-half that goal was against the run of play. I think they had two or three chances when we were caught on the break so that’s a bit of inexperience on our part. But I thought we really played well in the first-half and we kept them out in the second-half. We could have nicked it but it wasn’t to be and 1-1 was fair enough.”

Man of the match Seán Scannell agreed. “Germany were a very good team and there is a lot you can learn from teams like that. We have Spain next and it’s going to be the same with them. They just keep the ball for fun really.

“We’ll go into the qualifiers having played Germany and Spain and that will help us with the qualifiers because we’ve played the best there is in Europe.”