Angel Gomes on Wolves, England and his future: 'I spoke to Tuchel. To be in the mix, that's down to me'

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His fortunes have changed in the last 12 months, but he will not allow any personal disappointment at one of the more challenging years of his career to deter him from watching his friends in action. “For sure, I’ll watch all the games,” says Gomes, who sat down with The Athletic at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ training ground ahead of the final game of his loan spell at the club. “The majority of the players now, from being there in the setup and also from being in the under-21s as well, are players I played with. So yes, for sure, I’ll be supporting.” When Tuchel was appointed to the England job in October 2024, Gomes was in effect in possession of a place in the England squad. He had figured regularly during the caretaker tenure of Lee Carsley, a man who knew and trusted him after making him a key figure in his successful England Under-21s team. Gomes was justifying that selection, too, by playing the best football of his career for Lille in France’s Ligue 1. Early in his tenure, Tuchel made telephone calls to the dozens of players in contention for places in his plans. Gomes was among those on the list, signalling that the German was aware of his strengths. Since then, though, Gomes has entered a tougher phase of his club career with a tricky start to life at Marseille followed by a move to Wolves and a grim, ultimately fruitless, battle against relegation from the Premier League. “When (Tuchel) first got the job I think he spoke to a lot of players and I was one of them,” he says. “We had a couple of conversations, but then I think the rest is down to me. To be able to have more conversations, to be in the mix, that’s down to me — and the best chance of doing that is your performances.” Gomes’s career is actually eye-catching. He is the boyhood Manchester United fan who joined the club at the age of six but took the difficult decision to walk away at 19, making an unconventional move to France. There he prospered to such an extent that he earned international recognition. When his Lille contract expired at the end of last season, his form had been good enough to earn him a move to Marseille, one of the traditional powerhouses of the French game, under freedom of contract. It did not work out as he hoped. Under Roberto De Zerbi, now manager at Tottenham Hotspur, Gomes started just 12 times in Ligue 1 for his new club. By the time the January transfer window arrived, he was ready to move on again. “I’d spent almost four and a half years at Lille and my contract was coming up,” he says. “It was a matter of finding something new, something different — a different ambition — so that was part of the reason why I joined Marseille at the time. A different club, different environment, different way of seeing things, different way of doing things… there was a lot that was different, and I guess what happened is just football really. “You go somewhere with high hopes, and sometimes it doesn’t kind of fall into place how you want. That’s just part of the game. You go through spells like that.” Gomes’ move to Wolves in January, on loan with an option to make the deal permanent, appeared to make some sense. It gave him a change of scenery, the possibility to make a mark in the Premier League and the chance to reunite with Rob Edwards, the Wolves head coach he had last worked with as a youngster in England’s age-group teams. But with Brazilian duo Joao Gomes and Andre firmly established as Wolves’ senior midfield duo, and homegrown youngster Mateus Mane emerging as a key figure, Angel Gomes again found first-team opportunities hard to come by. He has made 11 league appearances in total, including six starts, with Wolves continuing on the same downward trajectory that predated his arrival. “It’s been a difficult time for the club,” he says. “Personally, it’s been really refreshing for me. Its a position and situation I’ve never been in in my life and it’s been an experience. “I’ve met some great people here, from the staff, the players, the people around the club, the people at Molineux — everyone’s been really welcoming. It’s hard to say it’s been really good due to the situation of the club, but on the whole for me, personally, it’s been really refreshing to be at such a great, family club. “I’ve also had some physical issues, which have not helped in terms of playing, but of course I would have liked to play a bit more. But that’s football. I’ve played long enough to know how things work.” When Gomes made his Wolves debut in early February, it had been over six years since his last appearance in the Premier League, as a late substitute for United in a 4-0 home win over Norwich. He believes the league he stepped back into with Wolves is stronger and more demanding than the one he tasted briefly as a teenager. “Football evolves from year to year, so it’s been completely different from when I last played in the Premier League,” he says. “Players have changed, the teams are a lot better, there’s a lot more money which means it’s better in terms of teams being able to compete from first all the way down to the bottom. Now it’s a lot more competitive. “I watch the Premier League, obviously, but there’s one thing watching it, and there’s one thing being involved in games. All leagues are completely different. This is the highest level, the best league in the world in terms of the strength in squads for the teams from first up until last. That’s the biggest difference. “It’s always difficult joining a team, especially in the middle of the season. I knew the situation of the club and that it would be really difficult, but it was a challenge in itself, and one I was willing to take on. “It’s just been a lot of learning, a lot of different things to take on board for the future.” That future, however, remains uncertain. With his involvement limited and his potential wages high, it is unlikely Wolves will trigger their option to make his move permanent. And although De Zerbi left Marseille a couple of weeks after Gomes’ departure for Wolves, the 25-year-old tells The Athletic he has had no contact with his parent club during his time back in the Premier League. A longer stint back in England would be an appealing option, but for now Gomes is leaving his future in the hands of his representatives. “I haven’t spoken to Marseille and everything that goes on behind the scenes has been left with my agent and the clubs really,” he adds. “I haven’t spoken personally to anyone at either club really. In these circumstances, the best thing I can do is leave it to my advisors. “Only time will tell, but my advisors and my agents will look after me. Since leaving United all those years ago, I always had a love for English football. I grew up in England and played for England, so it was always the pinnacle for me when I was younger. “But coming back to England has never been the be-all and end-all for me in my career or in my life. If there are opportunities to play for a team in England then it’s not something that I would turn down, but I’m open to playing anywhere.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms