Former Wolves captain Paul Ince believes former team-mate Matt Murray would have become a ‘world class’ goalkeeper but for his injuries.

Murray’s retirement has triggered a flood of deserved tributes from big names including Robbie Keane, Ray Clemence and Bert Williams.

But perhaps none of them are more striking than the ex-Molineux skipper, who led Dave Jones’ side to promotion in 2003 with Murray in goal.

Ince said: “It’s a pity that because of his injuries a lot of people never got the chance to see what he was capable of.

“The game has lost a top class keeper who would, in my mind, gone on to be world class but for the setbacks he suffered.

“In all my time in football I’ve never seen anyone as dedicated to being a world class goalkeeper as Matt Murray.”

Team-mate Jody Craddock only played with Murray for one season, 2006-07.

But the defender only needed a split second to declare he has played with no one better in 17 years as a professional.

He said: “Of the goalkeepers I’ve played with in my career, he’s right up there with the best.

“There’s something about this club though, because we’ve always had fantastic keepers.

“Unfortunately, he got injured in the first game I played with him, against Blackburn on the opening day of the season.

“But I played with him during Mick’s first season when we got to the play-offs against Albion and he had a fantastic year.

“If he’d have been fit, I would have thought he’d have been knocking on the door for England’s World Cup squad this summer.”

The tributes poured in as Murray today revealed the patella tendon he ruptured in November 2008 had still not healed properly, making retirement the only real option.

He said: “If I did continue I’d have been at risk of re-rupturing it. The first operation didn’t really work, so I had more surgery.

“Then in my first reserve game back last November I felt the tear got worse and looking at the scans now, it’s still not right.

“I just didn’t feel I was going to get back to be the player I wanted to be.”

Wolves head of medical Steve Kemp admitted the club and Murray had tried everything they knew to try and solve the problem.

He said: “It was a horrific injury, but he’d got to the late stage of rehab again.

“It’s just when he’s doing all the goalkeeping and kicking, his body can’t cope.”