Motherwell
confirmed the arrival of midfielder Joe Hodge after an undisclosed fee was
agreed with FC Tondela.
Speculation
about the arrival of the 23 year old Ireland internationalist had been growing
amid chat about contracts between former club Wolves and the Portuguese Liga
side. In the end Alfred Johansson got
his man. Whispers suggest somewhere around £600K plus a hefty sell-on clause.
The manager
remarked to the MFC website, “Joe is an excellent footballer who fits the
profile for the type of midfielder we want in our squad
Thanks to MFC for the picture
“He has
played in the Premier League against some of the best players in the world and
has gained experience in English and Portuguese football. At 23, he has
achieved a lot, but there is more to come from this young man.”
He came
through ranks at Manchester City then Wolves before the move to Tondelo in the
Portugese top division in June 2025 via loan spells at QPR and Huddersfield.
Hodge
captained the U21 team before earning a first appearance for Ireland in a June
draw with Canada.
“I’ve been
so keen to get this done,” Joe Hodge added.
“Having
watched Motherwell games last season and the games this season, I’ve been
itching to get involved. There are a lot of new faces this season, but the
cohesion amongst the players is clear with the great results so far this
season.
Welcome
aboard Joe.
