One Wolves star has earned high praise from pundit Alan Shearer for his performance against Aston Villa.
It’s been a week of highs for Wolves at long last, earning three points against Aston Villa followed by a successful deadline day.
Wolves signed two players on transfer deadline day, welcoming defender Nasser Djiga and midfielder Marshall Munetsi to bolster Vitor Pereira’s options.
While attention is all on the aftermath of a dramatic deadline day, Wolves are preparing for their FA Cup clash against Blackburn Rovers, where one player’s spot in the starting XI is surely guaranteed.
Alan Shearer names Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in his team of the week
The talk after Wolves’ win over Aston Villa was the dramatic announcement of Matheus Cunha’s new contract.
After scoring in injury time, Cunha celebrated by mimicking signing a contract, which he did after the game, committing his future to Molineux until 2029.
While the brilliant Brazilian stole the headlines, there was another player who deserved credit for Wolves’ win over their Midlands rivals.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde started in midfield and opened the scoring for the Old Gold, earning rave reviews for his performance.
Pereira admitted Bellegarde’s display was a ‘fantastic surprise’ as the midfielder bounced back from criticism with a remarkable individual shift.
It wasn’t only those at Wolves who were impressed by the Frenchman, seeing Alan Shearer name Bellegarde in his Premier League team of the week for matchday 24.
“His best performance for Wolves, scoring the opening goal in a vital victory over Midlands rivals Aston Villa,” Shearer said, a statement that many will agree with.
Bellegarde must start against Blackburn Rovers
The performance has been a long time coming for Bellegarde, who has been criticised heavily for his lack of contribution throughout the season.
Now that the 2023 signing has some confidence behind him following his heroics against Villa, Pereira must ensure that momentum is capitalised on.
| Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 50 | 4 | 3 |
A run of good performances could be make or break for Bellegarde, who despite starring against Villa, has done little to convince that he’s capable of being a regular starter.
If the Frenchman can find some form, he could hand Pereira a spark of creativity in midfield, which would only benefit both Wolves and the player.