Frank Lampard gives Wolves a reason to go out and sign ‘fantastic’ defender who Gary O’Neil wanted in January

Defensive reinforcements were a priority for Wolves back in January, and they could have missed out on a smart signing, according to Frank Lampard.

The Molineux outfit spent most of the January window searching for defensive recruits, eventually signing Emmanuel Agbadou for £16.6m.

Agbadou has gone on to impress in gold and black and become a key part of Vitor Pereira’s backline.

Wolves, however, weren’t always set on signing the Ivorian, with several other defensive targets falling by the wayside – one of those being Dan Ballard.

Gary O’Neil was keen on signing Ballard, but the Englishman’s sacking seemed to scupper any potential deal, though that could soon change after hearing Frank Lampard’s claims about the defender.

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Frank Lampard lauds Dan Ballard performance

Having failed to make a significant move for Ballard in January, Wolves may now alter their approach following the 25-year-old’s eye-catching performance in the play-offs.

The Northern-Irishman was immense for Sunderland against Coventry over the two legs, even heading home the winning goal in the 122nd minute, to send the Black Cats to Wembley.

Ballard deservedly picked up the man of the match accolade on the night, and Coventry boss Frank Lampard hailed the defender’s performance post-match.

“He was fantastic,” Lampard said via the Sunderland Echo.

“He was fantastic in the first game how he defended the box and was fantastic again tonight. He’s a really imposing player.

“He was their man-of-the-match over the two games for sure. I’m not saying my focus is absolutely on him, but you could sense that he was the one that had a real presence at the back end of the pitch. Well done to him, he played really well.”

Ballard could be smart pick-up for Vitor Pereira’s side

Given his recent play-off heroics, it may be time for Wolves to start considering Ballard ahead of the summer window.

A regular in the Northern Ireland setup, the defender could provide some international experience to what is a relatively inexperienced Wolves backline.

Mix that with Craig Dawson’s Molineux departure, there will no doubt be space for Ballard to make an impact for Pereira’s side.

A deal could be difficult if Sunderland were to be promoted, but if they lose out in the play-off final, they may potentially have to cash in on their star defender.