Wes Hoolahan is still up to his old tricks in League Two

Wes Hoolahan was referred to as a ‘fine wine’ by Norwich City fans, as he seemingly got better with age. The ‘Irish Messi’ continues to pull off his old tricks at Cambridge, as the League Two side remain firmly in the promotion mix in a tightly contested division.

The 38-year-old former Irish international joined the U’s in July 2020 on a one-year deal and has been a crucial cog behind their success so far this season.

Hoolahan has a wealth of experience across England, including four seasons in the Premier League at Norwich. However, he has also applied his trade in Scotland and Australia after starting his career in his home country of Ireland at Shelbourne.

After leaving West Brom at the end of the 2018/19 season, Cambridge had hoped to bring the creative midfield player to the club.

After he trained with the club under then-manager Colin Calderwood, who Hoolahan had worked with previously at Norwich until interest from the Newcastle Jets led to the Irishman opting to jet-off to the sun and experience a different challenge.

However, the midfielder got dealt an early blow. He suffered major ligament and cartilage damage in his right ankle during an FFA Cup Quarter-Final loss against Adelaide. Upon his return to England, Cambridge exercised the option to sign him once again last summer, and this time got it over the line.

Hoolahan’s influence at Cambridge

Despite the midfielder only starting 20 league games so far this campaign, his influence has run much deeper in a relatively inexperienced United side.

A sentiment reaffirmed by the manager Mark Bonner after Hoolahan recently won League Two Player of the Month for January:

“I think he has an influence on everybody, it doesn’t matter how old you are, his influence is across the whole team.”

“That humility, as well as his talent and work ethic when on a match day, can rub off on everybody. That’s the recipe that we want here.”

He had endured a slow start at Cambridge, which raised eyebrows amongst U’s fans, who began to question his capabilities and fitness as he enters the final stages of his successful career.

Nevertheless, his natural ability started to shine through with every game that passed, and it began to become evident why he got named in the EFL Team of the Decade in December 2019.

Despite his impact on the team as a whole, his individual contribution simply cannot be ignored. He has scored four goals and notched six assists this term, but more notably, all his contributions have come in league wins for the Cambridgeshire team and helped accumulate 18 points in the process.

Should the U’s extend his contract?

The successful management of his workload; by the coaching team at Cambridge has been the underlying reason for his success.

Particularly with the pandemic bringing added pressure on every player’s body due to the congestion of fixtures. By utilising Hoolahan once a week, predominantly on a Saturday, the U’s are reaping the benefits of a fully fit football magician.

Due to the nature of his name, he has attracted a lot of wider media attention. With this, fans of Hoolahan’s previous clubs have been watching his efforts closely.

After the Government set out the plan for fans returning to football, many Canaries fans would be interested in visiting the Abbey Stadium next season if Hoolahan remains at Cambridge beyond his current contract.

With 13 games remaining this campaign, much uncertainty remains over which level of football will be played at the Abbey next season.

However, Bonner will be keen to explore the option to keep Hoolahan whichever division the club finds itself in, providing the relevant finances are available. Undisputedly, the midfielder can offer value to the club both on and off the pitch at either level.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt