Dan Bentley interview: Being the 'fine master' at Wolves, leading behind the scenes and the potential Arsenal move

Every team needs a leader and that has been a hot topic of debate at Wolves in recent years.

With Nelson Semedo moving on, Wolves will lose their captain for a fourth summer in a row - alongside the fall out from Mario Lemina being stripped of the armband halfway through last season.

The figurehead of the team has changed hands constantly, but the leadership group behind the scenes has been relatively consistent.

Among them is goalkeeper Dan Bentley, who has been part of that group since he arrived in January 2023.

Initially he was respectful to captain Ruben Neves and the big characters in the squad, before taking a bigger role when Max Kilman became skipper. The defender is not a loud personality or natural leader, but he grew into the role with the help of Bentley and the two remain close friends to this day.

Part of Bentley's role off the pitch is enforcing the rules on the squad and he has been dubbed the 'fine master' at Wolves.

But it is not just about breeding the right culture and environment, but also creating a family feel at the club and rewarding other members of staff.

"That, in itself, takes a demanding role in which I have to demand of other people," Bentley said.

"If there is someone that's late, the fines are there for a reason. No one's trying to take the mick, it's not a fine culture, but don't be late.

"We take the money from whatever situation it is and give it to staff, we try and gift them at Christmas a little bit, as a thanks from the group. 

"It's important because the staff that surround us give us so much and put so much into making us ready and able to prepare for the best performance possible on a game day. It's so important to make them feel that we appreciate what they do.

"We've also given money to charity and some goes to the players' dinner as well. It's all for a good cause, rather than, let's just whip money out of people's pockets.

"If people know that there's a fine on the line and it's X amount for being late to a meeting or for training, then it demands that people have a responsibility of being on time.

"There's loads of ways in which I try and help the group. As much as sometimes my role isn't a prominent one, it's definitely a meaningful one.

"I try and have a positive impact, no matter what.

"Obviously, there's times where I get frustrated that I'm not playing, because I've played my entire career. But if I can have a meaningful impact on the group whilst I'm not playing, then it means my role is meaningful.

"Those leadership skills and qualities that I believe I possess are ways in which I can positively impact the group."