Abbey's Wolves career blooms after rejecting interest

Jerome Abbey rejected Premier League interest to stay at Wolves this season - and it is paying off.

The midfielder became the club's youngest ever Premier League player when he came off the bench in Sunday's draw at Burnley.

Aged 16 years, eight months and eight days he is second youngest player in the club's history - after Jimmy Mullen in 1939.

Abbey had already been pulled out of maths class at Thomas Telford School to become part of the squad to face Bournemouth in February.

This time the call came on Saturday from academy director Jon Hunter-Barrett to tell him he would be training with the first team, before boss Rob Edwards informed him he was part of the squad.

It came as a slight surprise but the England Under-17 international is at Molineux for the long term with the acceptance fighting for a regular first-team squad berth is around 12 months away.

There is a plan for Abbey, who joined the club at just six-years-old, to be integrated consistently into the Under-21s next season but he will join the first team at Compton at the right times.

The physical nature of the Championship is also a consideration, ensuring Abbey is not pushed into consistent first team action too soon.

It is important to recognise he is still studying for his GCSEs but is seen as a grounded and talented individual, who would be able to handle the spotlight of a senior call up.

Abbey is popular at Compton and sources have told BBC Sport he is increasingly happy at Wolves and enthusiastic about his future at the club.

His parents moved from Ghana to the Netherlands and Abbey is eligible to play for both nations but is prioritising his England future.

Brothers Jed, now at Marine, and Jez, who plays for Alvechurch, also came through the Wolves academy while twin brother Jeyden was part of the Shrewsbury set-up this season.