Wolves fought off approaches from two Premiership clubs before securing goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on a long-term deal, the Express & Star can reveal.
Everton are understood to have been at the head of the queue and a second Premiership club also enquired about Wolves teenage international after the January transfer window opened.
Both approaches were rejected out of hand by Wolves, who then moved quickly to tie their outstanding young prospect to the club until the summer of 2012.
News of the two approaches illustrates the high esteem in which the Wales goalkeeper is held among top flight clubs – with Fulham and Villa also big admirers of the 20-year-old.
And it also signals the determination of the club to hang on to their best prospects as they look to mount a serious push for the play-offs in the second part of the season.
43 Comments
Mick, i wonder why nobody has come in for stephen ward????????????
Didn’t realise Wolves were a Nursery club for Everton.
They already poached Lescott from us.
HANDS OFF!
fairplay. But if i was an ambitious player (like Lescott) i know where i’d be wanting to play my football week in week out…
Can someone change the record about S.Ward please……it’s getting really boring. I agree he isn’t up to a place in the first team when we are at full strength. But most of the season the lad has been playing out of position on the left wing and has tried his best, you can’t ask any more than that. Also, against Palace, he actually played really well in the 1st half, put some good crosses in the box and won some corners.
Now Jarvis is fit, we will probably see very little of him, but he is a decent squad player to have around when needed.
We won on Saturday and half the comments were about why did Ward come on for 2 minutes. Nothing about some good performances especially from the new lads and Jarvis.
Who cares????? - we won for god’s sake. But some people always have to be negative. Let’s give it a rest now.
Good bit of buisness getting him to sign a longer contract because when they do sell him (and lets face it unless wolves are promoted soon he will be sold) they will be able to coomand more money due to his longer contract
If we’re not promoted this season we will lose him along wiht Kites and anyone else whose half decent.
Well said Wolf in Nottingham - some people are just born negative and no matter what happens they will only see the bad in a situation. I tend not to worry too much about them… S Ward is a decent enough player and like you say, has tried his best despite having to play on the left wing when he is more suited to a centre-forward role. As long as we have utility players like him and Neill Collins about the place to fill in the gaps then I will be satisfied.
4 - Completely agree, really think it’s time for people lay off Ward, the lad looked useful upfront last season and it’s not his fault he’s being asked to play out left. What do people want him to do?? refuse to play??
Cant understand why. money mad moxey should have jumped at the £4.50 Everton were offering, hell, take the lot for a tenner… would only be slightly more scandalous than what we were given for Lescott…
Hay Everton. Get lost!
oh yea, and Greg cooper et al, suppose you’re gonna be applauding breen next ?
Rush him back into the team shall we ?
No, the reason so many fans are disgruntled is because of GLARING inadequacies inthe squad THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED ALL SEASON LONG.
Before you blame ward for being played out of position, practically our entire team has been played out of position all season long. who;s fault is that ? The Wolves Fan ? Gordon Brown ? Global Warming?
NO ITS MAD MICK’S!
put the blame where it belongs before mouthing off will ya.
I’m glad some people agree……I thought I’d be in for a right slating for that one.
Anyway……..Hennessey…..no doubt one day he will play at the top level, hopefully it’ll be for us. But great news the club have tied him to a longer contract so at least we’ll get some decent money for him if he does go. He’s been awesome this season. On Saturday he looked like he had the manner of and was assured as someone who was making about his 300th appearance for us, something you do need in a keeper. It’s unbelievable to think the lad is in his first season really.
What WILL be interesting is what happens when Murray is fit again.
Sell him at the end of the season for a big transfer fee as we have England’s number 1 to come back from injury. Carl Ikeme is a decent back up to Murray
9. & 10. I have to agree and I for one have been slating the squad performance with the reason of players playng outta position including S Ward but, like you say it is not his faul he is being asked to play there it is simply Mad Mick’s decision to ignore a player’s natural role on the left in favour of Ward. Unfortunately I think we will see some more of this before the season’s out. Hey, but encouraging news about Hennessey
Calm down Lee……..I’m not saying it’s good Ward is played out of position, just that its unfair on him to be made a scapegoat for everything else, which he has been. The point about Ward and Collins is that they are not there to be number one choices every week, but there to fill in as squad players when need be. And for that they need to be flexible. Which both of them have been. When we have a fully fit squad again, they will be back in the reserves. All I’m saying is lay off Ward, it’s getting boring.
Oh and yes I would rush Breen and Craddock or Craddock and Edwards back into the team asap!!! Our defence earlier in the season was solid with the 2 old boys but on Saturday we looked a bit shaky.
It’s good to see some supportive comments on here for a change concerning Stephen Ward. Last season, when MM began to bring in young and hungry players for next to nothing, I didn’t hear any bleating from supporters who like myself were extremely glad to see the back of the so called big money signings. It was a breath of fresh air to see young players like Stephen Ward, Andy Keogh and Michael Kightly giving their all in the Wolves shirt. How about we call a truce with Stephen Elliott as well? Apart from ‘that miss’ at QPR, I don’t think he’s done too much wrong and always gives 100% (and is currently top scorer!)
Well said george 14.
But can i point out the ebanks blake is our top scorer:P
Well said Nottingham Wolf, both Stephen Ward & Neill Collins are quality squad players who are flexible & will come in & do a job when there are injuries.
We didn’t pay millions for them so can’t expect Premiership quality. But what we do get is 100% effort & committment. I am not asking for anymore.
I too would have both Breen & Craddock in the team if fit, because what was clearly evident at Scunthorpe was a lack of an organiser in the back four. Both Breen & Craddock can fit that role well. Experience still counts for a lot.
11 wolves4life:
“Sell him at the end of the season for a big transfer fee as we have England’s number 1 to come back from injury”
You been playing Football Manager 2008 again?
God bless Matt Murray. I love him to bits.Fantastic goalkeeper, commands his area well.
BUT,will he ever regain the form he showed BEFORE the injury? What’s to say he would’nt get injured again?
Believe it or not, Tony Daley was a good player too.Remind me again, how much wages did we pay him while he was “playing” for us? How many games did he play?That’s right,21 appearances for the club in four seasons.
At a cost of roughly £60,000 per game adds up to £1.25 million we paid for him.
Yes, lets sell him & to Hell with the consequences…NOT!
Delighted to hear that we have turned down offers for Hennessey. He has been excellent this season and looks a fantastic prospect as keepers rarely reach their peak until they are about 30, so 10 years of improvement left in him yet. Whether we will be able to hang on to him if we don’t get promoted this season is another matter of course.
With regard to Stephen Ward, I would never slag off a player that gives 100% week in and week out. I would criticise McCarthy for the number of time he has selected him, however, as I don’t think the quality of his game has justified his place.
Bothroyd is a different matter. Not sure he does give 100% and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we got a result at the weekend having left him out.
Lets try and keep our best players for once please.
See, not a selling club like them down the road.
Players actually want to stay here.
yes alright notts. i get a bit over excited when it comes to me beloved Wolves.
i still havent gotten over Jo and Lee leaving for 2,5 mil to be raplced with guys like breen and gray… let alone the farce that has been our 2008 campaign
i know we all want whats best for the club. just cant honestly believe that that is mccarthy.
COME ON YOU WOLVES FANS!
Bothroyd reminds me of the lion from the Wizard of Oz.
Lacks courage! He also lacks passion & the ability to put in a full shift, bone idle & lazy.
What a waste of talent.
Having said that, he’ll probably play a blinder next weekend,as Ebanks Blake Blake Blake is cup tied.
Comment 4, Are you Stephen’s dad! YOU MUPPET! You obviosuly have not been to alot of the games that ward has played in. Listen Robin Hood Stephen Ward is rubbish, it beggars belief that some think he is a worthy squad player. He certainly isnt that, he ought to be farmed out to Northampton and not Daniel Jones!
Well said Notts wolf, just goes to show that the minority of so called “fans” on here are only on to have a moan and not true supporters, it is not good enough that we have tied up a very good goalie on a long contract just an excuse to have a pop at a player, Mick will be next- we won lets get him out!!!!!morons.
Southern 20 - your stupidity never fails to amaze me… do you take lessons or are you a natural moron ?
So we are a selling club eh ?
Which club spent 12 million in the summer having got top price for a load of prima donna’s ?
And which club bleats constantly about Robbie keane and Lescott (oooh he’s wolves through and through - yeah course he is).
The players we have sold have really gone on to better things aint they ? So who is the mug selling club ?
Hennesey has signed a contact - oooh there’s no way he can leave now then is there ?
Drean on dumbo - lets see in May.
Glad Hennesey is commiting his future to us, He is a fantasitc keeper with a very bright future. We need to keep hold of our top players if we are going to get back into the prem. Ward and Elliot are a joke and need to be premantly dropped. PLAY EASTWOOD ALREADY
Really starting to get to me that he is not playing such a proven goal scorer in Eastwood when we can barely score lately.
yes christ. I agree with my good bud Abdul pal. Couldnt agree more with u!!!!!!!! btw Neil Collins is a donkey.
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Contact wolves boo-boy (any of them).
28 wolves boo-boy:
Some people call us fickle, but in your case, just thick will suffice!
Lee……fair enough, we all get over excited.
SuperstarDJ, I’ve been to every home game and 8 away. I didn’t say he was a great player or anything, did I? I’m just saying he does his best so why don’t we lay off him and stop making him the scapegoat for everything.
Anything bad that happens and too many of us seem to just say well it’s ward’s fault, he’s mick’s mate, it’s because he’s irish etc etc. It doesn’t help!! Even after a good performance at the weekend all some people could do was have a moan because Ward came on for the last 2 minutes….I am just asking these people to change the record a bit!! I’m not saying he will score 30 goals for us in the Premiership or anything! But he is a decent hard working lad (which alot of us want to see if nothing else) so it’s about time we stopped giving him stick.
28 Wolves boo boy & 20 Southern - a question for you two:
Are you related in some way because you clearly share something. Ah yes it is the single brain cell you possess between you. Your stupidity and inane comments are a discredit to the rest of the genuine football fans (both Wolves & Albion) who post on these boards.
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boing boing
southern dingle 20,no your not a selling club i agree,cuz nobody wants to buy your players your a lower league loaning club boing boing
happy baby buggie name any home grown albion talent that have commanded a decent transfer fee when sold?
35 - only if you name any player you sold for decent money.
What does it matter where they come from - we buy cheap and sell dear… you lot buy cheap.
Lescott, Keane - next it will be Kightly and hennesey - these players won’t stick around for more of this league.
So keep the old “home grown” rubbish in the same bin as “attendances” - I live in the real world where its the football that matters.
they need to keep him, or we will score a hatfull when we play them in march.
35 eel:
Derek Statham
Bryan Robson
Oh & a certain Steve Bull!
GROW UP CHUMP!
Over £13,000,000 incoming due to transfers in the past 2 seasons.
Now remind me again, just how much Wolves have made in the same period?
lee/eel:
David Burrows got us a tidy fee from Liverpool.
BTW, grow up!
In response to wolveswolves do you really think we will get promoted,we may as well sell them now.
That’s right no.2. They only gave us peanuts for Lescott didn’t they?
i say tell em 2 BOGOF leave our keeper alone
Wolves cannot afford to sell Hennessey because we cannot rely on Matt Murray, he is too injury prone, take my word for it when i say, we will never see Murray again in goal for the Wanderers!
As for Stephen Ward, im not gonna slag the guy off because he is not a left winger by trade. But its obvious to me, the guy cannot finish either so he aint gonna get a place up front.
My last comment is questioning some wolves fans on here who slag off Darren Ward. Do u even go to the games? he is dominant in the air with a no-nonsense approach. Best centre back at the club.
Good result against scunny lads!
Cheers
Steve