Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil says it was “a shock” to be sacked by Bournemouth after an impressive seven months in charge but “everything worked out for the best” with him being appointed at Molineux.
O’Neil took charge as interim boss of the Cherries after Scott Parker was sacked in August 2022, guiding the team to a 15th-placed finish.
He was appointed Wolves boss just three days before the start of this season but has his side 10th in the Premier League and in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
“It was a surprise of course when you receive the message and then the phone call,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It was a shock. I’d been working through the summer on recruitment targets for the team and still going through plans for pre-season. All of a sudden news like that comes out of the blue. I sort of understood how the game works.
“I was very new into management at that time, did as well as I thought I could at that moment with the group, and maybe Bournemouth felt they needed someone who has been around longer and is further along in their journey.
“If I’m honest, I’m miles better at it now than I was then. I hope that continues to be the case as I move through my managerial career.
“I didn’t take it too badly. Obviously the first few days are tough because you feel like there’s a hole. Everything you’ve been working towards and preparing yourself for feel like it’s been removed.
“But then, only a few weeks later, I get a fantastic phone call saying a massive job at a club like Wolves might be available.
