Joe Hodge is set for more Premier League minutes in the run-up to Stephen Kenny’s squad announcement for the November friendlies against Norway and Malta.
The Wolves midfielder has made three appearances so far this season, coming on as a substitute against Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
Molineux stand-in boss Steve Davis has praised the Ireland Under-21 international.
He believes the 20-year-old has accelerated his rise to the first-team.
“Joe has shown guts, determination and courage to want to play and get on the ball. Beyond that, he didn't disappoint us,” Davis told the Express And Star.
“Did he surprise us? Maybe a little bit, but sometimes you don't know how they'll deal with it until you put them in.
“Going forward, he'll feel a bit more part of it here. He deserves that opportunity. He's shown us and the supporters that he's capable.
“He's an all-round player who can do a bit of everything well, and he has a great personality. He's a great kid and that goes a long way.”
Hodge joined Wolves from Manchester City in 2021 and quickly began to impress at Under-23 level.
During his time at City, he was loaned out to Derry City, but a back injury meant he didn’t see any first-team action with the Candystripes.
Davis, who landed the interim role after Bruno Lage was dismissed, offered Hodge and some other youngsters their first-team opportunity.
And Hodge, according to his manager, was quickest to settle at senior level.
“We're proud of the academy and want opportunities to be given to the players where possible and being in this position gives us that opportunity,” said Davis.
“We recognise talent and players that are ready, so we've given those players the opportunity.
“The players trust Chem (Campbell) now and they trust Joe within the training group. It's important for them to feel part of it.
“Joe has accelerated his development very quickly. Chem and Hugo (Bueno) took a bit longer, but they all have different pathways.”
Ireland boss Kenny is set to promote some players from Jim Crawford’s Under-21 squad next month.
Crawford’s side missed out on a spot at next summer’s European Championships when they lost on penalties to Israel in their play-off.
Will Smallbone is almost certain to feature, thanks to his form on-loan at Stoke from Southampton, while Hodge could yet play his way into contention.
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