100 not out for Wolves' model professional Carl Ikeme
Carl Ikeme was today described as the model professional who will only get better as he prepares to celebrate his 100
appearance for Wolves.
The 27-year-old keeper is set to reach the ton as Kenny Jackett's side return to Molineux for the first time since winning promotion with tomorrow afternoon's visit of Rotherham in front of a bumper crowd of 30,000.
Ikeme helped Wolves to a club record 24th clean sheet in a league season with last week's 2-0 win at Crewe and is now set for a slice of his own history.
The homegrown Brummie shotstopper has been a pro at Molineux for 11 years but it's only in the last two seasons that he has made the number one spot his own.
Waiting for his chance behind Paul Jones, Michael Oakes, Matt Murray, Stefan Postma, Wayne Hennessey and Marcus Hahnemann, he made an additional 66 appearances on loan for eight different clubs from 2004-12.
But he has emerged as one of the best keepers outside the Premier League and is again a contender for Player of the Year for the second season in a row.
"He's been excellent," said head coach Kenny Jackett. "I've been impressed with him as a person as well as a goalkeeper.
"He's committed to the club, he's very professional and he's behind the team.
"On a personal level, he brings a lot of very good characteristics to the club."
Jackett sees the same determination about Ikeme as long-serving Millwall keeper David Forde, who he took as a West Ham and Cardiff reject from the League of Ireland and saw his blossom into a full Ireland international.
"At Millwall, David Forde made a lot of himself later in his career," said Jackett.
"In terms of Carl, I see someone just as professional and just as determined who has his best years ahead of him.
"David was at West Ham and Cardiff as a younger man without getting much of a shout and ended up back in the League of Ireland at 26.
"We signed him on a free transfer and he was playing for the national team by the time he got to his early 30s.
"So it was a great story of someone who worked so hard and got his rewards later in his career."
