Matt Doherty’s incredible Wolves career is set to come to an end this summer after the much-loved defender racked up almost 400 appearances across two spells at Molineux.
The Irishman will leave the club this month following the conclusion of his current contract having enjoyed an excellent career dedicated to the Old Gold.
Doherty will forever be remembered as a club legend, and a player who gave everything for the shirt, and now moves on from Molineux as Wolves’ 16th highest appearance maker of all-time thanks to turning out 389 times across a 13-year period.
A pacey full-back in his early years at the club, Doherty has settled into a more central defensive role in recent times, while off the pitch, his dry humour, wit and laid-back nature have made him one of the most popular figures at Compton Park.
Wolves’ technical director, Matt Jackson, said: “It’s rare to get actual ‘club men’ in the modern game, but Doc is definitely a Wolverhampton Wanderers man, through and through.
“He’s been absolutely exceptional throughout the 13 years he’s spent at the club, both on the pitch and with the leadership he displays off it. Growing from an inexperienced teenager when he first arrived to now being the most senior and experienced member of the playing squad.
“He’s a great role model for young players on how to build a career, playing at the very highest level, along with his international football, and has deserved everything that the game has given to him.
“Doc has always been a really good member of the squad, a voice that I can go to, an experienced head in the changing room dynamic, and someone who has been very understanding of the situation we’ve been in and the pressures that everybody has been under.
“He’s been a pleasure to work alongside during my time at the club, and I wish him nothing but the very best for the future, as he will have many more years in the game in whatever capacity he chooses to have.”
Doherty first joined Wolves in 2010, after impressing for Bohemians against Mick McCarthy’s side, before finding his feet as part of Kenny Jackett’s young Old Gold team, which began the club’s revival in League One.
From there, he quickly established himself in the Championship and was a triple winner at the club’s 2016 End of Season awards, before the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo transformed Doherty into a flying right wing-back.
One of many success stories during the 2017/18 campaign, where he missed just one Championship match, Doherty was heavily involved in both boxes and made the transition to the Premier League look seamless.
His second Premier League appearance came seven years after his first, and started arguably his finest season to date, where he scored eight and provided ten assists as Wolves reached an FA Cup semi-final and brought European football back to Molineux for the first time in almost 40 years.
After memorable winners at Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, the defender continued in the same vein the next year, where he turned out 50 times and was once again integral to a second top seven finish and journey to the last eight of the Europa League.
Directly involved in another 12 goals, Doherty featured in the vast majority of special nights under the Molineux lights and took the starring role when he struck a late winner to cap a stunning comeback against Manchester City during one of the stadium’s most memorable evenings since the turn of the Millennium.
Just weeks after becoming a member of Wolves’ 300 Club, Doherty started on a new adventure, and joined Tottenham Hotspur in summer 2020, before spending the second part of the 2022/23 season in the Spanish capital with Atletico Madrid, ahead of a making his Wolves return.
After nearly 400 appearances, Matt Doherty’s incredible Wolves career will come to an end this summer.
— Wolves (@Wolves) June 6, 2026
Thank you for everything, Doc 🙏 pic.twitter.com/S4TC6ndMxb
Due to his love for Wolves, the lasting memories he made with his on-pitch performances and the friendships he had built with staff, Doherty was welcomed back into the Old Gold fold in summer 2023 and quickly reacquainted himself with the club, scoring a brace on his first game back as Wolves fired five past Blackpool in the League Cup.
Although no longer a guaranteed starter, Doherty played an important role as an understated leader in the dressing room. A player who would lead by example and endeavour to keep standards high.
During his second spell, Doherty would turn out more than 70 times in the Premier League as Wolves battled against the drop, with the Irishman transitioning from wing-back into a centre-back over the course of the last two years. He was also named vice-captain at the start of the 2024/25 campaign – wearing the armband twice that term, before leading the team out another 10 times during the current season.
Doherty has continued to represent his country throughout his Wolves career, having made his first appearance for the Republic of Ireland during the Old Gold’s Championship-winning season of 2017/18, before going on to earn more than 50 caps over the subsequent seven years.
Injuries have limited his playing time under Rob Edwards, but it has not stopped Doherty from making 15 appearances this season, which have taken his total for the club to 389 – an outstanding achievement for the defender, who will always be remembered fondly for his efforts in the Black Country.
Although he was never one to hog the headlines, Doherty will leave Wolves as a true modern-day club icon and will always be welcomed back to Molineux with open arms.
Thank you for the memories, Doc.
