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Wolves' Sam Ricketts makes himself heard

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Captain Sam Ricketts today warned his Wolves team-mates to be prepared for more earache if he continues to play centre-half.moreNormally right-back, the versatile skipper played in the heart of the defence for the last 20 minutes at Peterborough and the full 90 at Crewe on Saturday.

Head coach Kenny Jackett believes the 32-year-old's best position is right-back, but is aware the Wales international likes playing in a central role and he rested Richard Stearman at Gresty Road to get another look at his captain alongside Danny Batth.

The former Swansea, Hull and Bolton stopper won't be involved as Wolves take a 'shadow' team to his first club Oxford tonight.

But he believes he can play an even more vocal role at the heart of the Wolves back four.

"I've always said I'll play anywhere but centre-half is a tactical position and I like that side of the game," said Ricketts.

"I can be a bit more vocal playing there – mind you, I shout enough playing right-back, but people can hear me more at centre-back!"

Ricketts reckons he can continue to play as much football at centre-back, because Wolves' fluid way of playing allows a footballing central defender to bring the ball out from the back.

"I can dictate the play a bit, but I just enjoy playing football when we pass the ball the way we do," he added.

"Generally you don't get forwards as much playing centre-half but the way we play, I think you can bring the ball out if you work the spare man and attract someone to you when you're in possession of the ball.

"That's the way we play and if it falls to me, I'm happy to do it."

Jackett yesterday allowed left-sided centre-back Kortney Hause to join League One side Gillingham on loan until January.

Hause's exit leaves six players fighting for four places, with Ricketts, Matt Doherty, Danny Batth, Richard Stearman, Scott Golbourne and Ethan Ebanks-Landell fighting for four positions.

Wolves' trail for Hull-bound Sheffield United Harry Maguire went cold after two bids and Jackett has denied any interest in freed Crystal Palace defender Danny Gabbidon and former Siena stopper Fabrizio Grillo.

He said: "There's good competition and in the back four who played on Saturday plus Stearman and Ebanks-Landell, I've got six players who I've got confidence in.

"The good thing is there's flexibility where if I get a knock or people get injured, we can try different combinations in pre-season.

"That's what it's there for so should we need them, we know what they're going to produce."

Wolves romped to the League One title in style with 17 wins from their final 21 games.

They have continued in the same vein in the friendlies, winning four out of five.

And Ricketts believes that winning habit is vital, regardless of whether the victories come in the warm-up matches.

"You want to win every game," he said. "We got that last pre-season and it carried us forwards and we don't want to be any different this time.

"It's a good habit to have – we got into a winning mentality last season where we were going on the pitch expecting to win and we want that to continue.

"Barring the draw at Peterborough, we've won every game in pre-season and we set our standard to win every match we play."

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