Latest news with #Wolves
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Why Rangers-bound Conor Coady is last of a dying breed as fans told he could give them exactly what's been missing
Coady has racked up hundreds of top-flight appearances down south and has also won 10 caps for his country Conor Coady is a player who will not only talk his teammates through a game – but he won't be afraid to give it back as well. That's the view of the veteran defender's former English Championship rival Liam Ridgewell who recently described the imminent Rangers ' signing as one of the last of a dying breed of old-school footballers. Record Sport has revealed that the ex Liverpool and Everton player is edging closer to a move north of the border from Leicester, where he has just one year remaining on his contract. Ridgewell mixed it with the best in the English Premier League during his spells with Aston Villa, Birmingham and West Brom before moving onto the MLS with Portland Timbers in 2014. By prior to hanging up his boots in 2020 following a brief stint at Southend United, the no-nonsense centre back came directly up against Coady in England's second tier during loan spells with Wigan and Brighton. The 40-year-old was renowned for giving his opponents stick during games and reckons that Coady is very much cut from the same cloth. Asked about his antics on the pitch in an interview with FourFourTwo last month, Ridgewell replied: "I'd say that it was more talking team-mates through a game. "I'd be non-stop, and that in itself would sometimes wind people up. "You'd get a striker telling me, 'Will you shut up?' But it's something that's going away from the game these days. "During Covid, watching football on television without supporters in the grounds, we could all hear the players and I think some were surprised at the level of communication. "Conor Coady is a great example. He doesn't stop either. But you get less of it in the game now." Rangers' current crop of players have been accused of lacking leadership ability in recent seasons and boss Russell Martin will hope Coady's arrival will help fill that void. The former Liverpool kid captained Wolves in the Premier League between 2018 and 2022 and was a key cog in the side that reached the quarter finals of the Europa League in 2020. Two years earlier, his old manager and current Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito lavished praise on his skipper for leading by example after moving him from midfield into defence and correctly predicted that he would go onto win international recognition. He stated: "I think yes," (he said about Coady pulling on the Three Lions' jersey). "But this is the decision of Southgate. "What do I like about him as a player? His ability, his voice, and the way he sees things. I like the player. "From the beginning, we saw a lot of Wolves games before we took charge and made decisions. Some of those were good, some not so good - but that was a good decision (to move Coady to centre half). "The first day that we started training it was decided Conor was going to play there. After that, we have to see by ourselves if he had what we expect from him. "It worked out, was a good choice."
Wales Online
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Ryan Reynolds could sign star who Pep Guardiola praised as 'special' for Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds could sign star who Pep Guardiola praised as 'special' for Wrexham Wrexham are reportedly interested in a summer transfer move for a current Premier League midfielder, who has been praised by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the past Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham are claimed to be chasing Tommy Doyle, who impressed Pep Guardiola at Man City (Image:) Wrexham are reportedly vying for a Premier League talent who Pep Guardiola once lauded as "special". The Red Dragons, co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are said to be locked in a three-way tussle to snap up Manchester City academy graduate Tommy Doyle. The 23-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Wolves, is also on the radar of Wrexham's Championship rivals Birmingham City and Sunderland, who recently clinched promotion to the top tier. It's understood that Wolves are considering loaning him out after he struggled to secure regular playtime under manager Vitor Pereira last term, as reported by the Express and Star. Doyle only managed 12 Premier League outings following the appointment of Pereira in December. He initially joined Wolves on a temporary basis from Man City two years ago before sealing a permanent move for an estimated £4million the following summer. A product of City's youth system, Doyle boasts a rich footballing heritage as the grandson of club icons Glyn Pardoe and Mike Doyle. His abilities caught the eye of City manager Guardiola following his involvement in an FA Cup tie against Swansea in February 2021. After replacing Ilkay Gundogan for a 30-minute spell in the team's 3-1 victory, Doyle's display earned praise from Guardiola. Article continues below Tommy Doyle impressed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and has now been linked with Wrexham (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images ) Speaking after the match, Guardiola said: "He is a good player, it's not the first time playing in the games. He's a player with a special quality. He takes it, shoots. Another Man City fan. A historic family, the historic Doyle family." Kyle Walker also lauded his then-City colleague's performance, as well as his integration into the first team. "Tommy, what a great player," Walker said. "And a good lad as well. An exciting talent, he wants to learn and it's a pleasure working with him. I've seen plenty of kids come through the ranks at numerous clubs with a chip on their shoulder but he's very good and very down to earth." Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront. Doyle has notched up 50 Premier League appearances for Wolves, including 24 matches last season. He achieved promotion from the Championship two years ago during a loan stint with Sheffield United. As they gear up for their inaugural campaign in the second tier after 43 years, Wrexham are keen to strengthen their squad. It follows Phil Parkinson's team achieving a remarkable third consecutive promotion from League One last season. Striker Ryan Hardie was Wrexham's first summer acquisition, having signed from Plymouth last month, before Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward joined on Tuesday. The possibility of Doyle leaving Wolves arose after manager Pereira cast doubts over his suitability for the team's counter-attacking style of play. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year. Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here Article continues below Speaking in April, Pereira said: "Technically-speaking, he's a very good player, but in my opinion he's missing the physicality to face this league. To run 50 metres, to come back 50 metres and then go 50 metres again. "We are not a team to have 80 per cent of possession, so he has problems. If we are a team that has the ball every time, doesn't allow counter-attacks and keeps the ball to dominate the opponent, this is the team for him. "But we need to understand that we face top teams, top players. We need to run a lot and he's missing this physicality, especially when we play with two midfielders. With three midfielders, I believe he is a 10 with high quality. The last pass, shots, crosses – he has those skills."
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
FORMER U'S: Experienced defender links up with Championship side
Done deal - ex-Colchester United defender Danny Batth, pictured in action for Stoke City, has signed a one-year deal with Derby County (Image: MIKE EGERTON/PA) FORMER Colchester United defender Danny Batth has swapped one Championship club for another after signing for Derby County. The 34-year-old, who played for the U's on loan from Wolves between July 2009 and August 2010, has signed a one-year deal at Pride Park Stadium. Advertisement Batth has joined the Rams as a free agent following the conclusion of his contract at Blackburn Rovers, where he made 41 appearances in all competitions last season. Batth told the Derby website: 'I just think it was a great opportunity for me to come and help the team, help the club. 'I've played against Derby over the years and I know what an occasion it is when you play at the stadium and the support the club gets. 'I just wanted to be part of that and it's a real project. 'The foundations were set last year and obviously the club are looking to move forward, so I want to be a big part of that.' Advertisement Tim Foley 'disappointed' after takeover talks end without agreement Batth signed for Colchester back in the summer of 2009, joining on a season-long loan from Wolves. At 18 years old, the centre-half was handed his professional debut by Aidy Boothroyd in the U's 2-0 win over Hartlepool United. He went on to make 18 appearances for the U's before returning to Wolves where he enjoyed a stellar career, playing more than 200 games at Molineux over a ten-year period. Robbie Cowling confirms that Colchester United takeover is off Since leaving Wolves in January 2019, Batth has played for Stoke City, Sunderland, Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers.
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
The numbers behind Larsen's first year at Wolves
Wolves formally confirmed that Jorgen Strand Larsen has joined permanently from Celta Vigo for £23m, having triggered performance-related clauses during a successful season on loan at Molineux which yielded 14 Premier League contribution was at times overshadowed by the more eye-catching displays of Matheus Cunha, who netted 15 times, including five strikes from outside the penalty area, and earned a £62.5m move to Manchester when Cunha missed four games through suspension in March and April it was Larsen who stepped up, scoring in crucial wins over Southampton, West Ham and Ipswich to effectively guarantee safety for Wolves. In fact, the Norwegian ended the campaign on a hot streak, netting seven times in his final seven is 6ft 4in tall and won 67 aerial duels in 2024-25, the sixth highest total by a forward, though he only scored three headers. But where he particularly excelled was in making the most of his shot-conversion figure - the percentage of efforts resulting in a goal – was 25.9%, which was the second highest recorded by any player with at least 20 attempts last term, bettered only by Nottingham Forest's Chris also directed 69.4% of his shots on target, the leading percentage among forwards who start regularly, and overperformed his expected goals total by remains to be seen whether he can reproduce that clinical form in 2025-26, with the absence of Cunha perhaps meaning opposition defences will afford him less in a market where centre-forwards come at a premium, the 25-year-old has already proven a shrewd signing for Wolves. How to get news alerts about your Premier League club
San Francisco Chronicle
17 hours ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Wolves makes Jorgen Strand Larsen's move permanent after an impressive loan season
WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Wolverhampton announced Norway forward Jorgen Strand Larsen has become its permanent player after an impressive season on loan with the Premier League club. The Wolves said on Tuesday Strand Larson who came on loan from from Spanish La Liga side Celta Vigo last year has a deal until 2029 after 'the striker achieved certain clauses in his contract which automatically turned his loan permanent.' The 25-year-old scored 14 goals in 35 games for the Wolves in the Premier League last season, becoming the record scorer in his debut season for the club in the top flight, beating Raul Jimenez's 13 goals in the 2018-19 season. 'It's been a good first season in the Premier League,' Strand Larsen said. 'I'm proud of what I've done.' In June, the Wolves signed another player from Celta Vigo, attacking midfielder Fer Lopez, on a five-year contract. ___
