'Never wanted to leave': Ten years on from Conor Coady's arrival - the ex-Wolves skipper is etched into club history

It’s not often, especially in the ultra-critical modern world of social media, that a new signing at a football club receives such universal approval.

When it happens, it’s a thing of beauty.  And even better, when every word turns out to be true.

Ten years ago today, on a sunny Friday afternoon at Compton Park, Conor Coady completed the formalities of a move from Huddersfield to Wolves for a fee in the region of £2million.

He had been described by the Huddersfield Town then press officer and now chief operating officer David Threlfall-Sykes as, ‘the nicest footballer I have ever met.’  An opinion which it is very difficult to argue with.

And that day, a decade ago, launched a Wolves career which would ultimately make its way into Molineux folklore. One of those players, and contributions, whose impact stretches way beyond performances and achievements on the pitch.  Maybe Coady will return to Wolves in some capacity in the future.  Even if he doesn’t, his position in the annals of club history is assured.  

At the end of April, he was back at Molineux for the first time in on-pitch opposition, as already relegated Leicester were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Wolves.

During the second half, with the game safely in the bag, the South Bank launched into a rendition of Coady’s song.  ‘Allez allez allez’.  ‘He’s the leader of the pack.’ And a few more choice lyrics besides.  It was one of those moments unique to football.   A very public thank you, almost two years after his permanent departure and three since his final appearance for the club, perhaps fittingly, against Liverpool at Anfield. A spine-tingling moment in time.  ‘A moment I will cherish’, Coady wrote in an Instagram post afterwards.

He is one of only 36 players, male or female, to have made over 300 appearances for Wolves.  Another among that exclusive club is Dave Edwards, whose spell at the club was even longer than Coady’s. And who can very much imagine just what it will have meant for his pal to have heard that song back at Molineux.

“It is always nice for a player to build an affinity with a club and stay for a sustained amount of time,” says Edwards.

“You see a lot of players bounce around clubs, staying for two or three years, and then moving on.

“But to stay there, through different leagues, to still be reliable, still be accountable, through all the ups and downs, I think fans really appreciate that.

“There might be moments within all that which are tough, and a player might not feel appreciated because performances aren’t as good, but I think fans will always appreciate the loyalty, and that is what I felt from my career.

“I was very grateful to experience what I did at Wolves, and I know Conor is exactly the same.

“Like me, he never really wanted to leave Wolves either.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be playing as much football as before and had a World Cup with Wales to try and qualify for, so I needed to move on to be a regular, and for Conor it was exactly the same.

“He found out he wasn’t going to play, and was still very much involved in the England set-up and needing to get more football to be considered for major tournaments.  Purely a professional reason.

“I have no doubt that had he still been involved at Wolves, he would have loved to stay, and maybe even still be there to this day – that is how highly he thinks of the football club.

“For that reason, I was so happy that he got to enjoy that moment when he came back with Leicester last season.”

Edwards was perhaps slightly less happy a decade ago when the highly-rated young midfielder Coady, then 22 and a former Liverpool academy graduate and regular in the England age groups set-up, checked in at Wolves.

The previous season he had scored at Molineux with a superb long range strike for Huddersfield, and also found the net in the return fixture in Yorkshire – his own net – as Wolves won 4-1.

Edwards was more concerned about the new man pinching his place!

“I think it’s human nature in that situation, that I wasn’t completely happy to see Conor Coady arriving,” he recalls.

“Someone in my position, who the club had paid a lot of money for, during pre-season when you really want to cement your place in the team!