Gary O'Neil is the new manager of Wolves

Gary O’Neil’s attention to detail and record of developing players helped him clinch the Wolves job when they interviewed candidates to replace Julen Lopetegui, says sporting director Matt Hobbs.

Hobbs has also revealed that Lopetegui told him immediately after the July 29 Celtic friendly that he wanted to go, sparking a search for a replacement that ended when O’Neil was appointed this afternoon.

Lopetegui's departure, just nine months after he took charge, follows a difference of opinion over spending plans as the club tightened their belts this summer. However, the former Porto, Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla coach has been praised by Hobbs for his professionalism while the club lined up a replacement.

Hobbs told the club: “I had a conversation with Julen in the tunnel after the Celtic game. He was honest with his opinion and what he thought should happen. What was great was he was happy for us to take our time and interview other candidates and he was willing to wait until we found the right person, continuing to work and prepare the team properly.

“The way he and his staff worked during that period tells you everything you need to know about them. It’s allowed us time to go through a thorough process. It’s an opportunity to do something different with a young, up and coming British coach and, from the people we met, Gary was clearly the right person from very early into his presentation.”

O’Neil was a free agent having lost his job at Bournemouth in June when the club appointed Andoni Iraola. The decision to let O’Neil go was met with widespread surprise. After all, he had taken over a team in August that had lost three of their first four games, and been beaten 9-0 by Liverpool, but led them to safety with a 16th-placed finish.