Joe Hart reveals the ex-Tottenham star he reached out to after seeing ‘distraught’ moment
Joe Hart has revealed that he reached out to Matt Doherty after seeing the Wolves defender in a difficult moment.
Doherty was an unused substitute on Sunday as Wolves drew 0-0 with Newcastle United at Molineux, extending their unbeaten run to five games.
It has been a miraculous turnaround for Rob Edwards‘ side, who looked to be going down with a whimper just a few weeks ago.
But when Wolves drew 1-1 with Man United in December, putting an end to a run of 12 straight defeats, something appeared to change.
Wolves are still expected to be relegated from the Premier League, with a huge 14-point gap to make up, but Edwards will hope his team can go down fighting.
Joe Hart: ‘He looked done’
Doherty initially joined Wolves from Irish side Bohemians in 2010, spending 10 years with the club before joining Tottenham in 2020.
The right-back enjoyed a few years with the North London club before joining Atletico Madrid on a free transfer in 2023.
But after just six months, the 34-year-old would make his eventual return to Wolves, where he remains now.
| Matt Doherty | Wolves |
| Appearances | 386 |
| Goals | 33 |
| Assists | 41 |
Often wearing the armband now, Doherty was a regular in the Premier League last season but has taken more of a step backwards in this campaign.
The defender has featured in just eight league fixtures, after spending much of the season out injured.
He made his return against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in December, but has remained on the bench for Wolves’ last three games.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day on Sunday after Wolves had drawn with Newcastle, Joe Hart revealed a personal moment with Doherty.
“We saw an interview a few weeks ago from Matt Doherty where I actually had to reach out to him,” the former Man City goalkeeper said.
“He looked absolutely distraught, he looked done, he looked kicked in. The club, it looks like they’re going to go down. I hate to say that, but it’s factual.
“But how are you going to go down? Are you going to go down with fight and spirit? Are you going to build something for the future? Because it’s not the end of the world if you do go down.”
What Doherty said after Brentford defeat
The interview Hart is likely referring to came after Wolves’ 2-0 defeat to Brentford at Molineux before Christmas.
A frustrated and exasperated Doherty said that he and his teammates needed to do some “soul searching” ahead of the second half of the season.
“Do we want to be remembered for fighting all the way to the end of the season?” Doherty asked.
“Or do we want to be remembered for being cowards and taking the easy option, maybe trying to leave in January, or not fighting and training, and letting other people take your position?
“We need to look at ourselves in the mirror and figure out how we want to be remembered at the club.”
Clearly, the right-back’s words resonated within the squad. Wolves are now fighting, and, in their current form, have staved off any talk of Derby County‘s record.
The Rams infamously recorded the lowest points tally in Premier League history with 11 – a number that Wolves are now within three points of.