Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is putting in the work in the opening stages of pre-season.
It’s been a period of mixed emotions since the Frenchman signed for the Old Gold back in 2023.
Gary O’Neil was the manager who brought the midfielder to Molineux, but it’s Vitor Pereira who has got the best out of the 27-year-old so far.
Bellegarde is ready to compete for a starting spot in his favoured central midfield position, a desire that has only come around thanks to one clear change in his persona.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s confidence boost is noticeable
Sometimes, Bellegarde can come across as timid; however, when he’s in full flow, he’s a force that his opponent should fear.
During pre-season training, the midfielder sat down with Liam Keen and Nathan Judah of the Express and Star to conduct an interview.
After the chat had taken place, Keen penned his assessment of Bellegarde, noticing one clear change about the Wolves star.
The reporter described Bellegarde as a ‘softly spoken’ character and an ‘incredibly friendly’ person who takes an interest in the lives of those outside of the Wolves squad.
“He took an interest in the lives of the people around the table during the interview and laughed like old friends meeting for a coffee.
“The difference from what we saw previously following his move from Strasbourg in 2023? Confidence.”
Bellegarde’s confidence has been transformed by Pereira, something that is helping the Frenchman both on and off the pitch.
Bellegarde is a confidence player
Interestingly, Bellegarde’s rise in confidence has been spoken about already this year.
The former Strasbourg star has raised the bar on the pitch, as seen through a series of top displays over the 2024/25 campaign.
Next up for the Frenchman will be to keep believing in himself, which will almost certainly land him additional opportunities to impress Pereira.
It’s heartwarming to see Bellegarde going from strength to strength after a rather torrid start to life at Wolves.