Halford ready for a big challenge

Greg Halford of Wolves Greg Halford insists he’s ready for his biggest challenge at Wolves – staying in the team now his rivals are all fit.

The utility man started the season at right midfield with winger Michael Kightly not fully fit, but found himself reverting to right-back when first Kevin Foley then Richard Stearman got injured.

Now Kightly and Foley are available with Stearman not far behind, leaving the former Sunderland and Reading player with seemingly little room for error.

But, crucially for him, boss Mick McCarthy’s has a oft-quoted rule that the man with the shirt plays and Halford appears set to stay at right-back, as Kightly looks odds-on to replace the injured Segundo Castillo for tomorrow’s visit of Portsmouth.

The 24-year-old said: “Now everyone is back to full fitness on the right-hand side, it’s going to be a tough challenge to stay in the team.

“But that’s why managers bring players in to build squads and it’s only healthy. I’ve had to fill in different positions, but I think I’ve settled reasonably well.

“I’ve probably played my better football at right-back so far. I was brought in to cover any position down the right. I came here as a right midfielder having played all last season there, while I’ve also played nearly 150 games as a right-back so I know the position.

“Any position is fine and I’m just happy to be battling for a place.”

One advantage Halford has over his team-mates is his long throw, which paid dividends in the home clash with Fulham when Christophe Berra flicked the ball on for Kevin Doyle to score his first goal for the club.

The utility man said: “The long throw is something I’ve always seemed to have throughout my career. A fair few goals have come from it – it worked a treat with the goal against Fulham and hopefully it will get us more.

“It’s great to hear the crowd getting going when I get the ball and I’ve not really had that anywhere else I’ve been. But it’s also important to have some variety.

“Sometimes they might be expecting the long throw, then we can take it short and put a cross in, which almost caught Sunderland out a couple of times.”

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