Theo Corbeanu is already a Canada international and has now made his Premier League debut with Wolves. In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, the 19-year-old winger discusses his breakthrough season and the work that has gone into it
Sunday 23 May 2021 09:24, UK
What a few months it has been for Theo Corbeanu. He scored on his debut for Canada in March and made his first Premier League appearance for Wolves at the weekend. The next day he was back with the U23 side, scoring two stunning goals at Crystal Palace.
His is the feel-good story at Molineux right now, a reminder that as the season fizzles out for others, one young man is in the most exciting period of his life. Corbeanu crossed an ocean to achieve this breakthrough and is enjoying every moment of the adventure.
It is a success shared with his family. His mother cried when she saw him celebrating within minutes of coming on in a World Cup qualifier for Canada against Bermuda. A huge smile beams from Corbeanu's face as he recalls his family's pride at his accomplishment.
"They were expecting me maybe to come on in the last minute," he tells Sky Sports. "They were not expecting me to do what I did. The coach just said to make an impact. My first touch, I scored a goal.
"It was definitely one of the best moments of my life, for sure.
"That whole trip was like a dream."
Almost two months on, the teenage winger is still living that dream, his Premier League cameo coming against Tottenham, on the same pitch as Harry Kane, Gareth Bale and the rest.
"I definitely got thrown in at the deep end! No, I really enjoyed it."
There was little time to savour the experience. Corbeanu was whisked away to appear in a key game for the U23s the very next day - his 19th birthday. No wonder he cramped up at the end of that one.
"We were in a rush but I am going to have to get the shirt now. I really want to get my shirt signed by the whole team because it was a special moment for me.
"It has been a while without a break now but I have enjoyed every minute of this season. Every day I come into the club I just enjoy every moment. I am happy on and off the pitch.
"The Premier League is obviously the pinnacle of football. I know that I have a long way to go to get to where I want to get to because my goal is to be a top player, even in the Premier League, and to be one of the best Canadians who has ever played."
They are big ambitions but Corbeanu is a big talent. At 6'2", he is tall for a wide forward and describes himself as "tricky and quick" but his most notable trait is that he is completely comfortable manipulating the ball with both feet, a skill honed as a young boy.
"That was a big thing for me," he explains.
"I remember my brother would always push me to make sure my left foot was as strong as my right. It has got to the point where I feel more comfortable dribbling on my left but I like to shoot more with my right foot. That is something that I worked on a lot as a kid."
This family support has clearly been a big part of his journey.
"I had to travel really long distances to get to training when I was younger. My mum and dad would take it in turns to take me, taking time off work because it was a two-hour drive to Toronto. I would have to do lifts with other players from around my area.
"It was hectic but we made it happen."
The work continues. Given his frame, he is optimistic about an evolution that could yet see him thrive centrally as well as out wide. "I want to be a multi-threat. One of my idols is the Brazilian Ronaldo. In the future, hopefully you might be seeing me as a striker or a 10."
Although he joined Wolves from Toronto FC in 2018, it is this last 12 months that has seen his game really progress.
Corbeanu - the name is Romanian - credits the time spent back in Canada with his family last summer as a key moment. He realised what he needed to do to become successful.
"It just kind of helped me," he explains. "To be with family and friends, I was in a very calm and relaxed state and I was ready to go when I came back, ready to go harder than ever.
"I felt like I improved a lot physically. I came back with a better attitude towards the game. I did a lot of strength work, a lot of speed work, and improved from a physical point of view."
Wolves' training facilities include a giant dome with artificial turf, facilitating all-weather training. So committed is Corbeanu that he can often be found in there putting in the extra work alongside Hugo Bueno, a Spanish wing-back at the academy.
"Hugo wants to improve his game from the defensive end and I want to build my one-on-one skills into a super strength so we do a lot of one-on-one training. There are times when we go into the dome and stay after hours just to get some additional work in."
It paid off when Corbeanu scored in the early pre-season games. "You just build from that. I started getting better and better." He was soon training with the first team and became a regular on the bench after Christmas. The debut was just the next step.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been a support - and, typically, is demanding more.
"He is very helpful. Every time that I train with the first team, he emphasises the point that I need to improve my defensive game. I could not agree more with that. It is definitely something that I am going to have to improve if I want to play at the highest level."
I want to make my name globally.
The season at Wolves is not quite over yet, but Corbeanu has commitments beyond. As many as four World Cup qualifiers await in June as Canada hope to take a step closer to Qatar next year. "We want to be the golden generation who do that," he says.
Then, there will be some time with family too. A first return home since July. "I have not seen them in so long," he adds. "As good as it is to be speaking on FaceTime, it has been almost a year and there is nothing like seeing them in person so I really do miss them."
But the hope is that this summer will be an opportunity to reassess and prepare for the next push. The next step, the next ambition, is to become a Premier League regular at Wolves.
"These are going to be some very big, some very crucial months in my career. I have big dreams but I know this next season coming up is a big one for me to learn and to improve.
"I am still a teenager right now but I want to make my name globally. That is my goal, to be one of the best. That is my ambition. To play in the Premier League with Wolves and to get some caps, some starts, for Canada and build from there."
