Raul Jimenez remains a very popular figure at Molineux, and the former Wolves number nine set a new Premier League record last weekend.
Raul Jimenez left Wolves two years ago, having spent four seasons at the club.
The star became a rapid hit during his initial loan spell, and it was a no-brainer for Wolves to sign him permanently for around £30 million.
At one point, Jimenez was one of the most feared centre-forwards in the league, with his all-round game making him a complete number nine.
Conor Coady recently stated Jimenez has gone under the radar for years, and many outside of the Wolves sphere didn’t realise just how good he was at the time.
Sadly though, the skull fracture injury he sustained in November 2020 would set him back massively.
Jimenez was lucky to come back and even play football again after that.
That injury, and all the time he lost playing as a result, just makes what he achieved last weekend all the more special.
Raul Jimenez becomes first Mexican player to make 200 Premier League appearances
Jimenez featured for Fulham against Chelsea last weekend.
The game finished 2-0, but most of the talk about that match surrounded the decision to chalk off Josh King’s goal for a supposed foul in the build-up.
But there was something else significant that happened.
Jimenez, who came off the bench for Fulham, reached the impressive milestone of 200 appearances in the Premier League.
He was already the Mexican with the most appearances in the top-flight. But his latest outing means he is now the first Mexican player ever to reach the 200 mark.
In terms of the spread, 135 of these came in a Wolves shirt, and he’s now turned out 65 times for Fulham.
A remarkable achievement from Jimenez
When Jimenez suffered that horrendous injury against Arsenal, there were genuine fears he would never play again.
So for him to come back from that, and go on to make 200 Premier League appearances is a huge testament to him and his character.
He may have left Wolves two years ago, but after all he did for the club, it is genuinely very satisfying to see him reach this milestone.
Jimenez has arguably never been the same player as he was before that head injury, which is completely understandable.
| Jimenez for Wolves (2019-2023) | Jimenez for Fulham (2023-present) |
| Appearances – 166 | Appearances – 76 |
| Goals – 57 | Goals – 22 |
| Assists – 23 | Assists – 3 |
But he’s still been really good. For Fulham, Jimenez is already in their top 10 scorers in the Premier League, and has 22 in 76 for the Cottagers.
It is so interesting from a Wolves perspective to reflect back on that injury to Jimenez, who still counts Molineux as his favourite Premier League stadium.
It was definitely a sliding doors moment – had it never happened, Wolves may not have struggled as much as they did in the subsequent years.