Kenny Jackett: New steel crucial to Wolves star Kevin McDonald

The 25-year-old Scot has been nominated alongside fellow midfielders Adrian Forshaw of Brentford and Swindon's Alex Pritchard and the winner will be announced on Sunday, with all the managers in the division voting on a points system.

McDonald, who cost a bargain £250,000 from Sheffield United in August, has been a growing influence since the turn of the year and has come into his own since being deployed as a defensive midfielder alongside impressive youngster Jack Price.

Scotland assistant manager and ex-Wolves chief Mark McGhee told the Express & Star recently that McDonald is on their radar for the end-of-season internationals.

And head coach Jackett believes McDonald's improvement on the defensive side of his game has been a major ingredient in his effectiveness.

"Jack Price and Kevin McDonald at present are playing well on the ball but they're actually defending very well too and doing what's needed in front of the back four," said Jackett.

"I think particularly Kevin, it's something that's needed in his game for him go forward as a player.

"No one has ever said he wasn't a good enough player on the ball, but defensively for the team, he has to get in the right positions.

"If you cover well defensively, then quite often, you're the first to receive the ball off the back four and set an attack up, which I think is a particularly strength of his.

"We've built up an understanding as a side now and the three or four guys playing ahead of him are sometimes only as good as the two midfield players giving you the ball.

"If you've got two non-passers in there, there's no hole.

"If you've got good passers in there who can maybe side-step someone and thread you one through, you can maybe get on the ball a lot.

"We work at trying to get Michael Jacobs the ball in training, but mostly the two defensive midfield players are the ones who can make him the space or give him the ball.

"If we can do that on a regular basis and give him the ball, he can both create and score."

Jackett revealed it was a case of practice makes perfect for McDonald developing in his new role with painstaking hours on the training ground.

"It's about repetition – you can talk about it, but you also have to work at it," he said.

"Working in the various units and the players knowing what's needed is important.

"Ball retention in that area is very important – ball retention in that area and passing positions, whether you play with one holding or two regarding how you defend is important.

"A lot of it is tactical and positional - not 'muck or nettles' stuff such as tackles or second balls - it's being in the right place at the right time, so it's vital to be constantly re-assessing and re-adjusting your position.

"Then when we win it back, generally the first one to get on the ball needs to make sure we set up attacks or keep possession very well."

Meanwhile, Jackett believes his back four have the appetite to build another run of clean sheets.

Wolves' run of six consecutive clean sheets and 680 minutes without conceding – two off equalling a club record -n 1982 – was ended by Michael Smith's consolation in Tuesday's 4-1 win at Swindon.

"I think our team has worked hard to value clean sheets and to reduce the silly errors and reduce the goals at set-pieces," said Jackett.

"Those are the two areas that we continually work on.

"The back four players are a big chunk of it but you also have to know your job as a team.

"We don't just look at it as a back four or five and the goalkeeper.

"It's a team effort to work hard and minimise the chances against you.

"It's very difficult to stop everything but you can minimise it."