Wolves ran out 2-0 victors over Aston Villa last weekend – and Dave Edwards has been full of praise for one player in particular.
Wolves climbed out of the relegation zone with the win.
And following transfer deadline day, which saw Wolves sign two new players, there is new optimism about the club.
Vitor Pereira will need to try and build on the win against Villa, with Blackburn Rovers up next for Wolves in the FA Cup fourth round.
It’s possible new signings Nasser Djiga and Marshall Munetsi could be involved.
But one man a lot of people will likely want to see start the game is Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Dave Edwards praises Wolves star Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
Bellegarde out Wolves 1-0 up against Villa – but the Frenchman’s whole performance was fantastic.
Bellegarde has struggled to show consistency since coming to Wolves from Strasbourg.
Against Villa he was arguably the best he’s ever been – and it was interesting because he played in a central role – something he hasn’t managed to do very often for Wolves.
Dave Edwards has been speaking about Bellegarde in his latest column for the E&S, and insisted life at the club will not have been easy for the player.
But Edwards does feel Bellegarde has now shown how valuable he can be.
He said: “I liken it to myself in some aspects. I was a central midfielder, who quite often in my career, played on the wing.
“I was not a natural wide man, and I felt a lot of pressure to play like a wide man and make things happen even though it was not my game.
“I was delighted for him as it cannot have been easy. He caught Emi Martinez out at his front post.
“With (Joao) Gomes coming back, maybe we will not see him as a regular, but even still, he has shown how valuable he can be.”
After the win over Villa, Bellegarde himself admitted not playing in midfield for Wolves has made things difficult.
- READ MORE: Wolves fans had a lot to say about Jean-Ricner Bellegarde after his display vs Aston Villa
Bellegarde must now kick on for Wolves
It was a great weekend for Bellegarde, who made it into Alan Shearer’s latest Premier League Team of the Week with his performance against Villa.
It has been a bit of a struggle at times for the man who was brought in as Matheus Nunes’ replacement in the summer of 2023.
| Jean-Ricner Bellegarde for Wolves (2023-present) |
| Appearances – 50 |
| Goals – 4 |
| Assists – 3 |
Bellegarde just hasn’t been consistent enough to date. But he is clearly someone who can be really valuable, as he showed against Villa.
It seems clear now that he is much better centrally. So it’s on the £12.8 million signing (BBC Sport) to force Pereira to pick him there.
With Andre and Joao Gomes for competition though, it could be difficult. That said, Wolves have played with three in midfield before.