Wolves midfielder Karl Henry covers as much ground as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and has emerged as the driving force behind the team this season.

Yes, the captain is right up there with the biggest names in the Premier when it comes down to ground covered during a game.

Prozone statistics show Henry ran 12,686 metres (seven miles, 1635 yards) in the 1-1 draw against Villa. Liverpool midfielder Gerrard’s reported stats are 11,790m (seven miles, 573 yards), of which 1,070 metres were defined as high intensity (sprinting and high speed, defined as seven metres per second or faster).

Gerrard’s England team-mate Rooney covers 11,820m (seven miles, 682 yards) during a game, of which a staggering 1,500m was at high intensity.

Wolves signed up to the third tier of player analysis experts Prozone in the summer, following promotion back to the Premier League.

The Leeds-based firm have 15 Premier League clubs signed up, with the other five – Wolves’ opponents this Saturday Chelsea – Villa, Liverpool, Tottenham and Portsmouth all with a rival French-based company called Amisco.

Under Prozone, Wolves can swap corresponding information with their opponents, and also gauge how fit their players are by compare data against a Premier League average.

In addition to distance covered, the programme also breaks the distance down into six different components – sprinting, high speed running, running, jogging, walking and standing, with the distances defined in metres per second and calculated by the multiple cameras in and around the grounds.

It is also used as a competitive tool to, with results posted on the players’ noticeboard at Compton so they can compare how they fare against their team-mates.

Henry continues to come out well against his peers, as Wolves match analyst James Lovell confirms.

He said: “Karl and Dave Edwards are usually the two near the top of the list in terms of distance covered, which is probably understandable given their positions in the team.

“Of his total distance, 282m were defined as sprinting and 861m as high speed running. Breaking the 1,000m barrier for sprinting and high speed running is no mean feat – we also receive the fitness data on our opponents and there aren’t many who go that far.

“Michael Kightly didn’t cover the same overall distance as Karl, but he did travel 1,500m at high intensity. Another area looks at the average time spent between high intensity activities and, continuing to use Karl as an example, on average he carried out a high intensity activity every 31 seconds.”

The work carried out has convinced the only player who has been involved in both of Wolves’ Premier League campaigns that the current squad are far fitter than Dave Jones’s players from 2003-04.

Defender Jody Craddock, 34, said: “We’re one of the fittest teams I’ve seen and undoubtedly the fittest team I’ve ever played in. We’ve got an excellent fitness coach in Tony Daley and the squad has got a lot of energy.

“I’m feeling as fit as I’ve ever done but it doesn’t get any easier. It’s harder the older you get and that’s why the sessions with Tony are a necessary evil.

“I’ve always looked after myself in that respect so it isn’t a problem, but his sessions are very hard. If you’ve been off for a couple of weeks through injury or suspension then you know there’s a session with Tony on the cards – it’s definitely one to avoid!

“The sessions are horrible because they hurt but it needs to be done in order to compete, all of the squad accept that and get on with it.

“His sessions have really benefited the team and I’m sure all of the boys would agree with me.”

Craddock believes Wolves’ players’ support of each other is providing the backbone to team morale.

Manager Mick McCarthy has employed a ‘horses for courses’ policy recently that has seen key players from the Championship promotion triumph – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake then Kightly – dropped in the last two games.

In other cases, players have made the most of their chance and are keeping other on the sidelines, Craddock’s inclusion at the expense of on-loan Chelsea man Michael Mancienne as a prime example.

The veteran is convinced the camaraderie of the squad and belief of each player in their colleagues makes for a happy camp.

He said: “The players trying to get into the team are still supportive of those who are playing and that’s massively important. We’ve got a big squad which is needed at this level, particularly when you pick up injuries and we know at any time someone can step in and do a decent job.

“That’s good to know from the gaffer’s point of view, that if someone gets injured or loses their form someone else can come straight in.

“It’s about being patient on the sidelines for any of us when we’re not in the team. I had to wait my turn after getting injured and I’m sure Kevin Foley and the other lads trying to get in will be the same.

“They all train hard and go about things in the right way because they know that their time will come around again – I probably know that more than anyone! Then it’s a case of making sure you take that chance when it comes along.”

Craddock revealed it was a case of ‘business as usual’ on the training ground despite the international break, which has seen 11 players on duty for their countries.

He said: “There was a reserve game for some of the lads at Birmingham which we won 2-0 last week, while a few of us carry on training to keep ticking over.

“It’s always a bit different in an international break and we get maybe an extra day off,Hen but now those of us not away are back in now and ready to kick on for the weekend.”