O'Neil and his staff have penned a new four-year contract at Wolves.
“I’m always very excited about the future and we want to do more,” Shi said. “We want to make fans happy about us. Even after eight years, we feel it’s just the start of a long and successful period for the club. We are at the starting point and Gary is key, so we are happy to have a very young, talented and outstanding manager.
“I think the club has a positive future, building a new cycle for growth, better results on the pitch and ambitions to realise. To prepare for that, we need a very good team and I think Gary is a key member of the team, maybe even the most important member, so we are very happy to have him here for the long-term. The team together – me, Gary, Matt Hobbs and all the staff – we are working very closely to prepare for the new season.
“When you have a strong connection with the club, the staff and players, it’s easier for you to have a connection with the fans. The whole city, we’re one unit, and I think the whole city breathes life together with the club. If the club is like a team, then the whole city will be like a team too.”
On O'Neil, he continued: “He works very hard and is very humble. He might be the humblest manager I have ever worked with and one of the most hard-working coaches I’ve ever met. His strengths are around his tactics and his chemistry with the players.
“Of course, he talks more with Matt Hobbs, but I talk with him also, and it’s very easy to speak to him, to understand him, because he’s quite straightforward. He respects our views and listens to me very carefully to understand what I want to say. Then he describes himself to me very clearly and we are very effective.
“It’s very easy to talk with him, and even though we’re from different areas, and he’s a coach and I’m chairman, it’s not hard for us to find chemistry and mutual understanding quickly. It’s very easy to speak with him.”