With Euro 2016 just days from kicking off, David Evans sets a challenge for fellow Wolves fans to create a Wolves side made up of European players.
We’ve got Euro fever! Have you?
With the European Championships just under a week away, we’ve decided to try and create a tenuous link between Wolves and the international tournament with a new Fancast debate.
Many European players have graced Molineux in recent years and we want to know who would make up your Wolves Euro XI from the last 25 years or so.
Before you make your choices, here are dem rules…
– 4-4-2 Formation
– One player per nationality
– Chosen players can be from any European nation and even players who didn’t play at International level can be chosen.
-No EU referendum debate
Before you scrutinise your Wolves player knowledge and put together your chosen eleven, here is a Wolves Euro XI that I hashed out to get you thinking.
Goalkeeper – Wayne Hennessey (Wales)
Playing a big part in Mick McCarthy’s era, Hennessey was one of Wolves best goalkeepers in recent years. The Welsh shot stopper broke clean sheet records whilst on loan at Stockport County and made over 150 appearances for Wolves.
The Crystal Palace No.1 will embark on his first major tournament with Wales this summer.
Just don’t mentioned that night against Chesterfield…
Full Back – Denis Irwin (Republic of Ireland)
When Manchester United seniors Irwin and Ince signed for Wolves under Dave Jones it was literally a time to be alive!
As solid at the back as he was for the Red Devils, Irwin made three quarters of a century of appearances for Wolves. Irwin makes up one half of this sides Irish tag team.
Centre Back – Ludovic Pollet (France)
One half of our defensive cult hero’s, Pollet joined Wolves initially on loan in 1999 and then signed permanently that summer.
With 78 appearances in the bank, Pollet is one foreign Wolves player that always springs to fans minds.
You can read this excellent recent interview with Pollet by former Fancastian Adam Thompson in his Cry Wolf blog here.
Centre Back – John De Wolf (Holland)
The first name on the sheet in this selection.
The man with the name which conveniently matched the team, John De Wolf became an instant cult hero at Molineux after his hat trick away to Port Vale.
De Wolf is still a big advocate of Wolves on Twitter. Go on Twitter, find him and follow him!
Full Back – Mark Clyde (Northern Ireland)
Making up the other half of our Irish duo, Mark Clyde.
After joining Wolves from Kidderminster Town in the Millennium, the Northern Irishman had a mixed time at Molineux, mostly suffered by injury keeping him out for long periods.
After seven years, Clyde was forced to retire at the age of 24 but still managed to grace the Premier League with the Gold and Black Army.
Although it’s from six years ago, you can see what Clyde got up to post Wolves life in this piece from Fancastians Rob Fletcher here.
Left Wing – Jelle Van Damme (Belgium)
The man who seemed like a martial arts expert by name.
In this writers opinion, Van Damme was the type of player Wolves had been lacking for many years. After a few games, I thought to myself “We’ve got a little gem here.”
After signing for Wolves in 2010, Jelle Van Damme only played a handful of games before signing for Standard Leige a few months later with homesickness apparently the driving force.
After another five years in Belgium, Van Damme now plays with the celebrities at LA Galaxy.
Tell me about what homesickness is again…?
Centre Midfield – Nenad Milijas (Serbia)
Long time cult hero of the Fancast, Milijas was a surprise signings for Mick McCarthy following Wolves promotion to the Premier League in 2009.
The Serbian made a clear impression with a thunderbolt of a goal against Bolton one crisp Autumn evening.
Many on the Fancast felt Milijas was one of the best technical midfielders Wolves have seen in recent years. Was he one that got away?
Centre Midfield – Alex Rae (Scotland)
Alex Rae, Alex, Alex, Alex Rae. What a man.
After signing for Wolves from Sunderland for £1.2 million, Rae won the fans player of the season in his first season outing at Molineux.
We all remember that goal against Bolton (which should have been the winner) and more importantly, the man who scored that goal v Reading to give us a Millennium Stadium Play off Final spot in 2003.
In true Never Mind the Buzzcocks style – “Now the manager of Scottish side St Mirren, it’s Alex Rae!”
Right Wing – Slowamir Peszko (Poland)
One of Stake Solbakken’s signings in the summer of 2012, the polish winger joined Wolves on a season long loan from Cologne.
After an impressive start, injury kept the polish international out of the side and seemed to fall out of favour when Dean Saunders took over midway through the season.
Centre Forward – Steve Bull (England)
If I was going to pick an Englishman, who else would it have been but Steve ‘306’ Bull.
There is nothing more I need to say about this legend. He is captain and God of this Wolves Euro XI.
Centre Forward – Havard Flo (Norway)
The man who held the original title of ‘Best Hair at Wolves’, Mr Flo was one tasty dish.
I say that, one of my sisters has a three month obsession with Wolves after noticing a postcard picture of Havard in a Wolves club shop when I was a kid. Havard Flo dominated the household for quite a while.
After signings from Werder Bremen in 1999, Flo only made over 30 appearances for Wolves before returning to his first team, Sogndal, in 2001.
Now there are even more Wolves players here who I haven’t included. The likes of Ganea, Luzhny, Neistroj, Zyro, Keane, Iversen, Van La Para, Sigurdarson and even our own Euro 2016 attendee Dave Edwards.
So what are you waiting for?
Put together your Wolves Euro XI (follow the rules above of course) and share your selection on Twitter using #WolvesEuroXI or Post on our Facebook page.
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