Clash with boss led to Jelle van Damme's sale

Wolves today admitted the £2.5m sale of Jelle van Damme was prompted by a clash with boss Mick McCarthy - but the club insist it will not stop them signing foreign players.

Van Damme underwent a medical in Belgium yesterday after agreement was reached with Standard Liege just five months after he joined Wolves from Anderlecht.

Wolves are now attempting to draw a line under one of their biggest flops in recent years.

Despite confident talk from the player when he joined about being a leader, Van Damme never settled and became homesick when his pregnant wife returned to Belgium.

She gave birth to a daughter last weekend. Van Damme made just six appearances for Wolves, scoring once.

And although he made a decent start to his Molineux career, he first fell foul of McCarthy after the 3-1 defeat at Tottenham, when a dispute developed over him allowing Alan Hutton to run through before Stephen Ward brought him down for the penalty that turned the game.

It is understood the player was unwilling or unable to adapt to McCarthy's demands over the defensive side of his game.

Chief executive Jez Moxey said: "Of course we're disappointed that this particular transfer didn't work out.

"Clearly he is a talented player and he showed glimpses of that in his short time at the club.

"But his wife couldn't settle in Wolverhampton and when she returned to Belgium, he found it increasingly difficult to adapt to life here and to what Mick wanted him to do on the pitch."

Van Damme can't officially leave Wolves until the transfer window opens in January.

But Moxey said once the deal goes through in the next 48 hours, he will leave with immediate effect.

Moxey has negotiated every penny back the club paid for van Damme in June after meetings with Liege and Brugge in England over the last 10 days.

Moxey added: "It wouldn't put us off signing more foreign players."