‘Straight away’ - Wolves defender opens up on life under new manager Julen Lopetegui

Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Nathan Collins has spoken out about what life is like under Julen Lopetegui. The Irish centre half and his teammates are currently being put through their paces at a warm-weather training camp in Marbella, as the squad prepares for the rest of the Premier League campaign.

Lopetegui has now had a few weeks to get to know his players as he takes over a team at rock bottom, both in the league standings and in confidence. He has plenty of work to do to get the Wanderers up and out of the Premier League relegation zone, as they are currently four points deep in it.

The Spaniard, who has had quite the career in football management having managed the likes of Real Madrid, Spain and Sevilla, has already made quite the impression. “It’s been great. He has a really good aura about him, and the lads really look up to him and respect him,” centre-back Collins told Wolves.co.uk.

“What he wants from the team is really good, so the intensity in training has been there. Everyone’s buying into it and working hard, which is the most important thing. Straight away, he’s one of the best managers in the Premier League from his CV and pedigree. For a young player like me, or any player, to have someone like that improving you, you can’t ask for more.

“The minimum I can do is work hard for him and I’m sure he’ll make me a better player. You have to go about your business the same, but we need a reaction. We need to buy into him, that’s the biggest thing as a team and players individually. You have to buy into what he’s saying and go and have a good go together.”

With four losses and a draw in the last five games before league action came to a close, Wolves plummeted to 20th. Defeats to the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea were expected over recent months, but losing 4-0 to Leicester City and being unable to get any points out of Crystal Palace or Brighton can only be deemed a failure.

Thankfully for all associated with the football club, though, it seems Lopetegui is looking ahead rather than backward. Collins is optimistic about getting back to playing after a few weeks without any competitive matches. “The lads are here working and everyone in the group knows we have a job on our hands,” Collins said.

“We know what we have to do, but we’re looking forward to getting going again. I’m buzzing to get back. Being back with the group, getting the friendlies in, you just want the real games to start now. We want to show everyone how good we are and what we can do, the work we’ve put in. We want to change where we are.”