Wolverhampton Wanderers, an English Premier League team, has signed 19-year-old Zimbabwean midfielder Tawanda Chirewa from Ipswich Town, a Championship club.
Chirewa will initially play for Wolverhampton’s Under 21s during the 2023/24 season. He made his senior debut for Ipswich in November 2019, becoming the second-youngest player in the team’s history. He signed a two-year scholarship at Ipswich in July 2020 and was subsequently granted his first professional contract four months later.
Jon Hunter-Barrett, the football academy manager, expressed his satisfaction with the signing of Tawanda Chirewa by Wolverhampton Wanderers. He said Chirewa has been on their radar since he was 16, and the club closely monitored his progress before seizing the right opportunity to approach him and secure his services. He added:
His key qualities are his handling of the ball in tight areas and an ability to get the team up the pitch to create and score from deep areas.
As always, with one of our key strategies of looking at loan opportunities for our players at the right time, the departures of Harvey (Griffiths) and Alfie (Pond) and steady progression of one or two others into the first-team squad, it was important we strengthened our under-21s to ensure they have the ability to compete throughout the season.
Harry Hooman, the head of UK academy recruitment, emphasized that Tawanda Chirewa has been a player of interest for Wolverhampton Wanderers for a significant period. They began monitoring him when he was an under-16 player and have continued to closely observe his progress in the subsequent seasons. Hooman said:
He is an athletic, talented player with the ability to score and create goals. He wants to get on the ball and is not afraid to take responsibility and take risks to make things happen.
We feel he has the attributes and potential to do well for us both in the short and long-term. This is a fresh challenge for him and we are excited to see him kick on again with us.
There is a significant number of players, particularly in the Premier League in England, who have Zimbabwean ancestry. Football supporters believe that if these players were called up for international duty, the Zimbabwean national team, the Warriors, would become much stronger. Some players residing abroad have previously responded to the call and represented Zimbabwe, while others have decided to change their nationalities due to concerns about the management of Zimbabwean football by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).