Wolves boss Mick McCarthy believes £6.5m record signing Kevin Doyle is now priceless.

McCarthy didn’t sniff at more than doubling the club’s previous record outlay in the summer.

And with talk of Arsenal ready to bid £10m recently, the manager’s talent-spotting ability has again been proved right as the Republic of Ireland international has already rattled in five goals.

Showing little sign of his hernia-interrupted pre-sea-son, it’s not just goals Doyle has brought to Wolves but his awareness and all-round game.

McCarthy believes the 26-year-old’s value has rocketed already – but it doesn’t matter because he wouldn’t sell him at any price.

“Doyle was cheap now, let me tell you – he’s more than good value,” said the boss.

“I wouldn’t even try to put a value on him now but I knew exactly what I was getting when I brought him in.

“I knew his character, personality and his ability, which was the first thing I looked at.

“He’s been terrific. There were clubs looking at him at the time.

“We just went about it in the right way, got in early and he was impressed with us. I knew exactly what he was about from watching him play at Reading for three or four years and then from him playing against us last season.”

While Doyle’s early sea-son was harnessed by that hernia, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s hamstring sustained in the opening game against West Ham dented his attempts to get up and run-ning.

It’s only in the last three games that the striker has been truly firing on all cylinders. McCarthy believes they are not only forming a formidable link-up together, but that Ebanks-Blake has become a better footballer.

“Sylvan’s a better player now because he’s a more rounded player.

“He’s working the channels because he’s seen and understood he has to do that side of it. He’s desperate to score because all good strikers are.

“My view is that him and ‘Doyler’ are our first defensive point and they’ve been brilliant.

“The last three games they’ve played together they’ve been absolutely outstanding.”