Relegation Confirmed But Exciting Memories Aplenty

With the confirmation tonight of what has seemed inevitable since late autumn, we start the look back at the many fond memories of Wolves’ eight-year stay in the Premier League.

And we reflect immediately on what and who the club are bequesting to the top flight as they themselves prepare for life back in the Championship.

Namely, we select a ‘team’ of Molineux favourites who have all continued to flourish and of whom much will be seen at the elite level in Wolves’ absence in 2026-27. 

It is a line-up that shows the quality of player we have often been blessed with in these parts – all of them senior internationals – and many of them most closely associated with the early and middle Fosun years.

Judge for yourself how good this lot were as we present them in something like a 4-4-2 running order:

JOHN RUDDY turns 40 this year and remains no more than back-up at Newcastle four years on from his Molineux departure and eight seasons after playing 45 first-team matches here during the promotion-winning campaign. 

MATHEUS NUNES didn’t show the best of himself at Wolves but, playing largely as a right-back, has already had the taste of silverware-winning glory that was always likely to come his way at Manchester City.  

NATHAN COLLINS has matured so much since his £24m exit from Wolves three summers ago that, despite still being only 24, he is now firmly established as Brentford captain and has played well over 100 matches for them. 

WILLY BOLY is little seen these days and has had only the most fleeting of first-team chances this season but was a popular figure at Wolves before crossing the Midlands to Nottingham Forest, where he had a reunion with Nuno.

RAYAN AIT-NOURI made his competitive City debut at Molineux on the season’s opening day but hasn’t had an easy first ear in the absolute elite, being restricted to 20 starts among many substitute cameos and Algeria outings.

MORGAN GIBBS WHITE hit a game-changing weekend hat-trick that underlined his status as the kingpin and chief inspiration for Vitor Pereira’s Forest. The captain is doing so much to lead his club towards Premier League survival.

ADAMA TRAORE crossed in the January window from West London and a mid-table Fulham season to East London and a relegation battle with West Ham. So far restricted largely to substitute outings, including one against Wolves. 

PEDRO NETO has been a livewire for Chelsea as he was in five injury-hit years at Wolves, his ten club goals this term including an FA Cup hat-trick, since when he has endured nine goal-less games in keeping with the team’s slide.

RAUL JIMENEZ could be in his last few weeks as a Premier League player, having announced that he will leave Fulham in the summer. Just short of his 35th birthday, has already reached a round dozen goals for the season.

MATTHEUS CUNHA hit the winner at Chelsea on Saturday night – his eighth Manchester United goal of the season – to considerably increase his chances of playing in the Champions League in 2026-27. Still looking a class act.

JORGEN STRAND LARSEN missed out on his Newcastle move but is aiming for a European final with Crystal Palace at the end of a season that started miserably before improving with a flurry of Wolves goals in mid-winter. 

The above line-up does not include Ruben Neves, who is still in Saudi Arabia, or another of the very best players Wolves have had in recent decades, the tragic Diogo Jota.

And we should remember that we have a former Molineux midfielder (Keith Andrews) in a Premier League head coach’s job and Nuno and Pereira among his counterparts.

This top-flight stay truly has had some highlights and star performers.