Wolves boss Mick McCarthy believes Stephen Ward can emulate Kevin Kilbane and become a career left-back.

Makeshift left-back Ward is more used to playing up front or left midfield, but has made the position his own since moving there for the last three games.

Sceptics were concerned at Ward’s lack of experience in a position made vulnerable by George Elokobi’s absence for the season.

Ward is keeping deadline signing George Friend out, while Matt Hill is sidelined for several weeks.

Now McCarthy reckons the 23-year-old can follow Wigan’s former Albion winger Kilbane, who has just reeled off 50 consecutive caps for the Republic of Ireland.

The Wolves boss said: “Stephen is a left-back, make no mistake about it. You don’t play three games as well as that and not be. He’s been fantastic at left-back and that’s his position.

“I always fancied he could play left-back, because he’s as much like Kevin Kilbane as I’ve ever had, in as much that he’s much-maligned sometimes as a left winger – he’s not ‘Kights’ and Kilbane wasn’t Damien Duff.

“But they are the ones the lads would always have in their team. Kilbane has just had 50 caps in a row – I’ve picked him, and so have Brian Kerr, Steve Staunton and now Giovanni Trapattoni – who knows a bit about the game.

“Stephen is just like Kevin. If I had to pick him up front, he’d do it with the same desire and gusto as left-back or anywhere else.”

“If he keeps playing there he’ll only improve. If when he started off he had a nightmare, I’d have been wondering whether he would improve, but he started off like a left-back.

“Stephen Ward is a very talented footballer.”