Wolves’ Sporting Star columnist John Lalley is one of an increasing number who couldn’t do without David Jones after the midfielder was offered a new contract.

It’s been a very long time in coming and well overdue but, at the most advantageous moment; we are seeing just why Wolves shelled out the best part of a million quid to recruit David Jones from Derby County at the start of last season.

Restricted by injury that necessitated two knee operations and the brief flourish offered by Nenad Milijas, Jones cut a peripheral figure at Molineux. For him personally, this Premier League campaign with Wolves was threatening to prove as glaringly unproductive as the disastrous year endured with Derby back in 2007/08.

But his recent contribution has gone a long way in setting a platform for survival and provided Wolves with a boost few would have predicted earlier this season.

All sorts of grandiose assumptions and misguided assessments are made regarding any player who passes through the system at Manchester United, even in the most junior ranks of their academy.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who like Jones started out as an Old Trafford hopeful, has no doubt heard it all before too – the mistaken perception that any young player apprenticed to Sir Alex Ferguson must naturally be extravagantly gifted.

United, like every other club has a large fallout of youngsters deemed surplus to requirements and Jones was expected to kick on at Pride Park and prove himself a worthy Premier League performer.

In reality, he never had a ghost of a chance. Derby simply could not cope at such a level and joining Wolves, despite having to accept a return to Championship football, must have come as a relief for the player himself.

In our promotion year, he did OK without ever appearing to be a player who seemed destined to prove indispensable as a central midfield playmaker.

Besides, it was the likes of Ebanks-Blake and Michael Kightly who were attracting the headlines with Jones restricted to occasional cameos like his prime performance early season when Wolves demolished Nottingham Forest at Molineux.

He was neat and tidy enough and clearly had a good left foot, but Was never really identified as one of the genuine key players who ensured promotion.

Wolves fans had seen Darron Gibson arrive on loan from United the previous season complete with star-billing and he delivered little more than adequate competence.

Jones himself seemed to slot comfortably into the same kind of category. Reliable enough, but not one to set the pulses racing, a guy capable of more who hardly exposed a gaping hole in the team if he was absent.

Injured and seemingly out of favour, for Jones the first half of this season was a virtual write off. But, belatedly given his chance, he impressed at Hull and made the game a springboard for a series of outstanding performances.

He has flourished bossing the centre of a five man midfield unveiling a repertoire of skills and appearing cocksure confident in all that he seeks to achieve.

No doubt applying the finishing touch to the multi-passing move for the Molineux winner against Tottenham ranks as his outstanding moment, but he has been an integral component of our overall improvement since he returned to the team.

He seems to have upped his work rate by a considerable notch or two in comparison to last season and improved immeasurably in defensive mode. His ball control and passing skills have been highly impressive and we have looked a more polished and creative outfit as a result.

His link-up play with Matt Jarvis at Villa on Saturday to force James Milner into conceding an own goal was superb before delivering a sumptuous free-kick to set up Jody Craddock’s equaliser.

Along with Kevin Doyle in the second half, Jones displayed crisp control and composure on the ball and some immaculate distribution, to give the team some breathing space when the pressure from Villa became incessant.

Facing up to high quality opponents such as Milner and Stiliyan Petrov, Jones suffered absolutely nothing by way of comparison. In short, he was superb.

Since the turn of the year, the thought of manager Mick McCarthy selecting a Wolves team without the inclusion of Jones is unimaginable. The guy has been terrific and silenced many sceptics, myself included.

He looks a far better player at Premier League level than he did in the Championship, a sure sign that his game encapsulates a touch of class and extra quality. He is a far better player than I realised and I back him in playing a significant part in ensuring that Wolves will be enjoying Premier league football next season.

Jones is playing the best football of his career at present and the offer of a new contract is a justified reward for his efforts.

It has taken a while for him to showcase the full range of the talent at his disposal, but at just twenty five years of age, he now has a real opportunity to become a top rate performer.