Wolves ace Kevin Doyle was keen on Celtic move

Wolves striker Kevin Doyle today revealed Steve Morgan talked him into staying at Molineux and turning his back on Champions League glory.

The club rejected an 11th hour loan bid from Parkhead to take the 29-year-old before the transfer window shut last Thursday.

Doyle was an unused substitute for the 2-1 defeat at Leicester on the same night as the club turned down the offer before the game.

A few days before that, the Republic ofIreland forward, who hasn't scored for 10 games, received ironic cheers when he was substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Blackpool.

And, when asked about the chance of moving to the Scottish giants, he said it excited him.

"Obviously. They're in a fantastic position, going into the Champions League last 16 and at the top of their league, and it would have been a great opportunity at a massive club for four or five months," said Doyle.

"But, in the end, the chairman at Wolves convinced me they wanted me to stay, so it was as simple as that. Once the club decided I was staying, that was the end of it."

The news comes as boss Dean Saunders insisted he is happy to carry on picking Doyle.

"For me, Kevin Doyle sets a great example – you can say he hasn't scored for a while or he hasn't done this or that, but you can never criticise his effort," said Saunders. "He's a player who I'll forgive all the things he's not doing because he gives everything."

Wolves played a 4-2-3-1 system for the first time this season at King Power Stadium, with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake up front on his own. Saunders warned Doyle wasn't immune from being left out again, however, as Wolves start preparations for Saturday's visit of Leeds.

"Nobody is safe – if we don't win," said the boss. "Kevin's a Steve Bull type – strong, a team player, he works hard, he's hard to play against and he doesn't give you an easy afternoon. He just needs a goal."