Wolverhampton Wanderers' defeat to Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening saw promising defender Hugo Bueno impress on what was his full debut for the Midlands side, with the young Spaniard having been a real shining light despite the overall disappointment on the night.

The 20-year-old's "superb" performance - as described by journalist Nathan Judah - saw the exciting full-back tee up compatriot Adama Traore with a stunning whipped cross to fire the visitors ahead at Selhurst Park, having only made his first senior outing just a few days earlier against Nottingham Forest.

On the same night as the left-back showcased his talent on the Premier League stage, the club's U21 side were also in action in the EFL Trophy away at Port Vale, with that encounter showcasing that there are further academy assets just waiting to be unleashed in the first-team.

Despite their eventual defeat to the League One outfit, Wolves' exciting crop of youngsters - who had already qualified for the knockout stages - certainly put up a good fight against Darrell Clarke's side, with centre-back and captain Ollie Tipton having been particularly stoic at the heart of the defence.

The 19-year-old - who is still waiting for a chance in the senior set-up - seemingly did all he could to try and keep out the home side on the night, having recorded a remarkable haul of 14 clearances, while also making three blocks and winning 100% of his aerial duels.

The exciting Englishman - who can also feature in a defensive midfield berth - has been a crucial asset for the club in the competition thus far, with his average match rating of 7.03, as per SofaScore, the sixth-highest among his teammates.

Tipton had also previously stood out at U18 level as he scored ten goals and provided one assist in 47 games in all competitions, with all the signs pointing to a player who could well join the likes of the aforementioned Bueno, Chem Campbell and Joe Hodge in making his mark on the first-team.

The local lad has previously been lauded for his quality and commitment by technical director Scott Sellars, who said of the defender's talents back in December 2020:

“We’ve been assessing Oliver’s progress since he was 11, so to see a local boy’s growth through the Academy is great. We’re really proud of his development over the years and the work he’s put in to get himself to this stage, and this contract is a reward for that commitment.

“He’s very focused and has a very professional attitude for a young boy, who shows every day a real consistency in his work ethic and trying to improve. He’s been a captain a lot from a young age, and shows very good leadership skills, but he’s got an extremely focused mentality and is a young man who is really keen to progress and learn."

The defensive ranks have been somewhat depleted over the summer following the departures of the likes of Romain Saiss, Willy Boly and Conor Coady, so there could well be a chance for Tipton to make his mark for Wolves sooner rather than later, with the Old Gold having the potential to unearth their next big thing in the teenage talent.