If it was not for Gary O’Neil being sacked, a former Wolves and West Brom player could have come back to Molineux.
The feelings among Wolves and West Brom fans can only be described as tense, and that is how most rivalries are.
When Wolves faced West Brom in the FA Cup, the latter were fined for crowd trouble, highlighting the fiery atmosphere between the sides.
Although there have been players who have played for both clubs, crossing the divide is highly frowned upon.
And under Gary O’Neil, Joleon Lescott, who previously played for both clubs, almost returned to Wolves in a coaching capacity.
Joleon Lescott was in line to join Wolves’ coaching staff under Gary O’Neil
Joleon Lescott is mostly known for his time at Manchester City and winning two Premier League titles, but the Englishman has played for both Wolves and West Brom.
Lescott made 229 appearances in the Old Gold between 2000 and 2006, and later played for West Brom during the 2014/2015 season.
The defender was in line to make a return to Wolves in a coaching capacity under Gary O’Neil according to journalist Nathan Judah.
Speaking on the Express and Star Wolves Podcast, Judah said [30:25], “If they’d won another couple of games and Gary O’Neil was going to be staying longer term, then Joleon Lescott was coming into the coaching staff to help Wolves
“Obviously Ipswich happened, that went out and you know, they got Vitor Pereira and that never ever happened” he continued.
In the end, it was the right decision as Vitor Pereira guided Wolves to comfortable survival, but Pereira’s reputation with Wolves fans now is on a knife’s edge.
Joleon Lescott’s reception would have been interesting at Wolves
Although he came through at Wolves, Joleon Lescott has played for two of the club’s biggest rivals
Both Aston Villa and West Brom are considered rivals of the club, and usually, players who cross the divide receive hostile reactions.
However, the defender has done a large amount of media work for the Old Gold over the last few years, so perhaps his reputation is still intact.
Lescott did play most of his career at Molineux, but even the image of the defender in a West Brom jersey can be tough to shake.
For most fans, it was strange to see one of their own academy products put on the strip of the Baggies, and it would have been interesting to see the reaction had he returned to Wolves.