Dominic Iorfa and Kortney Hause are a formidable pairing on the pitch, and now they've proved they can link up away from football too.
The young Wolverhampton Wanderers and EFL Futures duo took a fun break from training earlier this month, swapping the hallowed turf at Molineux for a recording studio at Beatsabar in the city centre.The music-crazy pair, who have 21 England U21 appearances between them, are two EFL Futures players and first team regulars for Paul Lambert’s side. EFL Futures was an initiative launched by the EFL in October 2016, which offers a financial reward for clubs that play young, home grown players in their first team.
Iorfa and Hause, who have made more than 200 first team appearances combined, showcased their hidden talents off the pitch and demonstrated their musical ability by rapping their own football-related lyrics to a beat they created together!
“It was great fun, we both had a great time,” admitted Iorfa. “We were a bit nervous at first but once we got into it we started to express ourselves and enjoy it. It was a good laugh.”
Iorfa and Hause's emergence into the Wolves starting line-up is a shining example of home grown players being given a first team opportunity to compete in the EFL.
“It’s been proven, especially over the last two seasons, if young players get opportunities to play, they tend to prove that they’re good enough to play football at that level,” said Hause, who played for Wanderers in their 2-1 FA Cup victory at Liverpool last month.
“The EFL is a great league to be a part of. The Championship is the third most watched league in the world and to be a part of that is amazing. It’s so competitive and the rewards are huge.”
The opportunities created for young players in the EFL have proven successful on an international stage, with the national team reaping the rewards. Iorfa and Hause have both represented England U21s and Iorfa acknowledged one of the main reasons why he has had the chance to play for his country.
He concluded: “The fact that I’ve played regularly in Wolves' first team from a young age definitely enabled me to get my England call-up in the first place. The squad is very competitive so to get in you have to be playing first team football.
“When you look at players like Dele Alli who have played in the EFL and gone on to play at the very top level in the Premier League it gives us confidence. He’s made the transition look seamless and we have to believe if we get an opportunity like that we can succeed as well.”