The Wolves youngster impressing in Conor Coady's position

At the heart of the back three, the sweeper, putting in vital blocks to stop opposition attacks and playing delicious diagonal passes to get your team forward.

Coady, Wolves' captain, has done it to a tee over the past couple of years – and pretty much exclusively.

However, the club are preparing other players for the role.

Former Manchester City youngster Ed Francis has done well there for the under-23s.

And recently, Christian Marques – at the tender age of 16 – has shone in the position for them.

The club have high hopes for him.

Signed earlier this year from Grasshoppers, Marques was born in Switzerland and has represented them at various age groups. He is also a Portuguese citizen.

Nuno Espirito Santo had him 'training every day' with the first team over the summer – as said in a previous Express & Star interview with academy chief Scott Sellars.

He was even taken to China as Wolves won the Premier League Asia Trophy.

As of late, Marques has starred in three of the u23s' last four games.

One of those was an EFL Trophy penalty triumph at Morecambe, in which he came up against 40-year-old Kevin Ellison.

Top-level senior football is an entirely different beast, of course.

But Marques, it is fair to say, is doing well for a 16-year-old.

Rob Edwards, who has just joined the FA after stepping down as Wolves u23s boss, said: "He deserves the opportunities.

"He has stepped in and been excellent. He's really stepping up to the level.

"It's not all about him. There's Lewis (Richards) and (goalkeeper) Andreas (Sondergaard) - all the players are young.

"But Christian has got a great head on his shoulders. He's had a great upbringing, fantastic support around him, and you can see that when he's on the pitch, and when he's off it.

"He's a calm and nice young boy, who shows great control on the pitch.

"It's not just all football. He can defend as well.

"There are high hopes for him. At the same time, you've got to control that.

"There is lots to do, and he's got a lot of competition.

"It won't just be an upward trajectory, but we're delighted with him so far."

We all know it is not going to happen overnight.

And Coady, who has undergone an incredible transformation from a midfielder to defender, is going to be in the side for a while yet.

Marques, though, has made impressive early strides in his quest to become a Wolves star.