It’s safe to say that Rayan Aït-Nouri is one of the first names on the squad sheet these days at Wolverhampton Wanderers, having made 10 starts out of 11 possibilities this season in the Premier League.
The Algerian international had a difficult time getting there after his attempt to persuade Julen Lopetegui, Gary O’Neil’s predecessor, to truly embrace him. Nevertheless, he is now a regular starter at Molineux and is happy about it.
During his conversation with DZ Foot regarding his career to far and his time at Wolves, the 22-year-old expressed his happiness at how things have finally worked out in England.
Although O’Neil’s presence was beneficial to him, he acknowledged that it took some time for him to catch up following his extended absence from the squad during the previous campaign.
“Physically, I feel very good. To be honest, the start of the season was a bit difficult because I was lacking rhythm because I hadn’t played for a while, but after a few games, I found it again, and I’m very good now. I’m happy about my start to the season. Very happy, even.”
As for his decision to sign for Wolves despite teams such as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain being after him when he was at Angers, he made it clear that a move to England was always on the cards for him because that’s where he wanted to take his next step.
He said, “Wolverhampton are a club with a lot of ambition. There’s always been good players here, and it was a dream for me, since I was a kid, to play in the Premier League. When I arrived, I immediately told myself that I had done the right thing to come here! Mentally and physically, I’ve progressed a lot, even if it hasn’t only been a good moment.”
In fact, when he arrived, Wolves were under Nuno Espirito Santo’s guidance and were in the top half of the table, which did help him in his choice.
He added, “That’s what motivated me, and I don’t regret that choice.”
