Express & Star

Sky Sports' Johnny Phillips: Captaincy material? It’s been pure gold at Wolves

Roger Johnson created a stir last week when he returned to Wolves to record an edition of the club’s podcast.

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The former captain left through the back door after an underwhelming spell at Molineux, but every credit to him for fronting up and coming back to give his version of the events that took place between 2011 and 2015.

That is, of course, what they were – just his version of events. But those subjective opinions were a good listen and it cannot have been easy returning to the club to speak out.

On the pitch, the role of a football captain is a token one, carrying nothing like the influence of a skipper in cricket, for example. After the handshakes, choosing ends and a few words here and there, the football captain is not expected to contribute anything significant.

Yet the role brings with it much more than just the hour and half on the pitch. There are responsibilities in the dressing room representing your peers, serving the community around the club, as well as representing the club in a fit and proper manner around the country and, in this season’s case, across Europe. Wolves have been blessed down the years, with many great captains striding out in gold and black. Billy Wright is hailed as the greatest of them all and it is hard to argue with that, but we all have our own favourites.

During the course of writing the book Bitten By Wolves over the past year, it was instructive to listen to the thoughts of no fewer than six Wolves captains. Karl Henry was a guest at the Wolves Former Players’ Association annual dinner earlier this year and spoke brilliantly about the role. Alongside him on stage was Steve Daley, who suggested that since the days of Wright, Mike Bailey had become the benchmark for any future aspiring Wolves captain. The stars of the 1970s assembled in the room all nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

Mike Bailey

Having never seen Bailey’s era it would be unfair to comment, but his name carries such weight among those who witnessed and played for the great 70s team. There can be no question that Bailey was a giant at the club.

Ally Robertson was the first captain who made a lasting impression, as a young fan in the 80s. He seemed the perfect leader for a ragtag bunch of misfits, journeymen and youth who came together to pull the club out of the mire. Robertson – a West Bromwich Albion legend, no less – earned his place in Wolves folklore for guiding the club through such testing times, creating a tight bond among the group on a social level off the pitch and ensuring they kept their eye on the ball when it came to the serious stuff.

He is one of the few men who can walk into both The Hawthorns and Molineux and receive a standing ovation.

Henry led a similarly unfancied bunch, although in a different manner, under Mick McCarthy.

As a local lad who was not an elder of the team he did most of his talking on the pitch, leaving everything out on the field of battle. Vocal and physical, there was no danger that his message would not transmit itself across the team.

Another who displayed great vocal and physical leadership was Paul Butler. It is hard to think of a more agitated dressing room than the one occupied by the 2002/03 play-off winners. So many diverse characters, a mix of experience and youth, all with something to say for themselves. One occasion springs to mind at the start of that successful campaign under Dave Jones when Wolves only just sneaked past Swansea City, then of the bottom division, at The Vetch in a League Cup first round tie.

As the teams ran off the pitch, striker Kenny Miller piped up with some stinging criticism of Butler and the defence and all hell broke loose as the players headed down the tunnel. The last man in slammed the dressing room door shut and it remained locked for several minutes while the sounds of furniture being re-arranged could be heard.

It is no secret that the class of 02/03 were not afraid to air their grievances to each other and perhaps they were all the better for it. Butler was no shrinking violet but he had his hands full. The polar opposite of both Butler and Henry was probably Sam Ricketts.

Never a great ranter or raver, he preferred to literally lead by example: do as I do and you’ll be alright. Ricketts arrived at the club after two dispiriting relegations. As someone who was past his own playing peak he did not need the challenge, but he proved to be an inspirational signing by Kenny Jackett. Ricketts went the extra mile for his players, often spending hours after training during the week working at parts of the role that do not get much publicity, sorting out ticket requests and other such jobs.

Danny Batth followed in his footsteps, and there is no doubt that he learnt so much from Ricketts’s example. Like Henry, as a local boy he had an extra responsibility and carried more on his shoulders than other players. Wolves were rebuilding the relationship with the supporter base under Jackett, and both Ricketts and Batth understood this, proving to be model captains.

Conor Coady of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates victory at the final whistle (AMA)

Which brings us to the latest incumbent, Conor Coady. It is hard to know where to start but, under the current regime, Nuno Espirito Santo and Coady are a match made in heaven. Coady’s devotion to the head coach is almost religious, and it is easy to see why after the Portuguese transformed his Wolves career. But Nuno struck gold too, stumbling across a man perfectly qualified to lead the most culturally disparate dressing room in the club’s history.

The club has been lucky with its leaders. History has shown that, for the most part, when the manager at Molineux has thrown someone the armband that candidate has turned out to be a great captain of Wolves.