Pompey loanee: So right to swap Premier League push for League One

Connor Ronan has no regrets ditching a Premier League promotion charge for a League One challenge.
On-Loan Wolves midfielder Connor RonanOn-Loan Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan
On-Loan Wolves midfielder Connor Ronan

And the highly-regarded midfielder is revelling in regular first-team football at Fratton Park.

Ronan was keen to walk away from Championship table-toppers Wolves in January to aid his development.

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He made seven appearances in the early part of the season, including three league substitute outings, while was unused from the bench on another four occasions.

Yet with Nuno Espirito Santo’s impressive side dominating the battle for promotion, the 20-year-old desired more involvement.

Ronan arrived along with Sylvain Deslandes during the January transfer window, on loan for campaign’s remainder.

And following his best Pompey performance so far at Oldham, he’s in the frame for a 12th appearance when Oxford United visit on Sunday.

Ronan said: ‘When I was at Wolves I wasn’t really playing.

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‘For me it was good to be part of that, but I am at a stage of my career now where I have just turned 20 and need to start getting games under my belt – which I have come here to do and is what I am doing.

‘At Wolves, in the early part of the season I was around it, on the bench and coming on.

‘Then it was less, not really coming on, sometimes out of the squad, and it was a bit frustrating really.

‘As a young lad I just want to play football and that is what I have come here to do.

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‘I could have stayed, but I am a young lad at an important stage of my career.

‘In the future, say I go back to Wolves and look to go on another loan, teams are going to look at how many games you’ve got under your belt and whether they can trust you in league football.

‘If you haven’t got those games, maybe that puts people off taking you or playing you.

‘At this stage of my career, I just want to keep playing football.

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‘I keep in touch with the lads there, they are doing well so there’s not much to say – I just wish them all the best and tell them to keep going.’

Ronan is contracted at Molineux until the summer of 2019 – and is not one of the loanees Pompey possesses an option on to permanently recruit.

Wolves have high hopes for the talented Rochdale lad and continue to closely monitor his progress.

He added: ‘I’m keeping in touch with the physios and sports science, letting them know how I am because they knew I wasn’t fully fit when coming down here.

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‘They are also in touch with the sports science here and send data back and forth, monitoring my fitness.

‘I’ve not heard much from the coaching staff, which is understandable as they are concentrating on staying top of that table.

‘When I go back at the end of the season, hopefully Wolves will be a Premier League team.’