Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted Conor Coady’s selection at sweeper was a fluke, as the defender closed in on a club appearance record.
Coady, 27, has played every minute of the club’s last 105 league games going back to October 14, 2017, all at sweeper in Nuno’s 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 system.
The Liverpudlian was one of four at Wolves nominated for Premier League awards for the month of June, with Raul Jimenez for player of the month, Nuno as manager and Pedro Neto for his goal in the 2-0 win at West Ham.
Coady was a defensive midfielder or right back when Nuno arrived three years ago and had never played the deeper role before.
But the Portuguese, who takes charge of his 150th Wolves game with tonight’s visit of Arsenal, confessed Coady was picked by default.
“It was luck!” said Nuno.
“It was a case of one player missing on the training pitch, so I said ‘OK, you go there’. It happens.”
Coady has expertly marshalled Wolves’ back line to seven clean sheets in the last eight league games, coinciding with the return of Willy Boly.
Following his nomination on Friday, Nuno believes Coady is starting to get wider recognition from the football world.
“I think everybody has realised the talent of Coady,” said the Portuguese.
“There are not many players who have played so many games at a high standard as he has done.
“There’s no doubting the impact he has on our team.
“He is the voice of our team, everything starts there – the way we’re organised.
“The major recognition I see among us is we depend on each other. Coady is a fine example of that.”
Wolves record could be broken
Coady is only 22 games away from equalling goalkeeper Phil Parkes’s milestone of 127 consecutive League appearances set in September 1973.
Nuno believes the former Liverpool scholar, who celebrated his fifth anniversary at Wolves on Friday following his £2million move from Huddersfield, will eclipse the marker Parkes set almost 47 years ago.
“He has every chance, as long as he keeps competing, respecting himself and preparing himself,” said the head coach.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/38oJkv3
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