Surman Sky-Dives For Best Of Causes 

Following Geoff Palmer’s charity abseil last month, another former Wolves player has demonstrated a daring defiance of any fear of heights.

Andrew Surman is at the opposite end of the Molineux service scale to the veteran full-back, having made only nine first-team appearances here following his recruitment by Mick McCarthy in the summer of 2009.

But he reached for the sky on the annual group parachute jump at Southampton, where he is both a Foundation ambassador and an under-18s coach.

The 39-year-old, whose long playing career ended with a 34-game spell at MK Dons in 2020-21, led the daring fund-raising drive by leaping at 15,000 feet – around 5,000 higher than participants on the club’s 2024 effort.

“Absolutely mental” was his verdict as he peered skywards at the plane while awaiting his turn.

But the Johannesburg-born former England under-21 international recovered all composure to say afterwards: “The Saints Foundation do unbelievable work in the community. I’m just turning up and jumping out of a plane.

“The work they do is inspiring and it’s a privilege to be here and be able to help out. Jumping out of a plane….I can’t believe I did it really but the bigger picture is the Foundation. Credit to everyone involved….I’m just lucky to be part of it.”

When put on the spot by a TV interviewer, Surman still described the rush of scoring a goal as being the greater thrill, although he attributed that to the fact he netted only 41 times across his 487 first-team matches – at Southampton, Walsall (loan), Bournemouth and Norwich, as well as Molineux and Milton Keynes.

The jump, which raised around £20,000, also featured the city’s Lord Mayor and was broadcast on the EFL Highlights Show last Saturday. Anyone wishing to see it should click on Bing Videos and go to about 40 minutes into the programme.

Surman, who was once approached about playing for South Africa, was sold by Wolves to Norwich in June, 2010, a few weeks after McCarthy’s men had comfortably maintained their Premier League status.

He launched his career by playing nearly 150 games for Southampton after becoming the youngest player ever to play in their reserves.