Wolves: Greatest Players Throughout The Years

Wolverhampton Wanderers are an English football club formed in 1877.

One of the founder members of the Football League, the club has spent 70 seasons plying their trade in the top flight.

A vastly successful 1950s saw Wolves become champions of England. Over the years they have enjoyed cup success, too, and are in fact the only English club to win every available domestic trophy.

‘The Old Gold’ have built such an impressive history thanks to some brilliant players who have donned the famous shirt over the years.

From top-flight stalwarts to players who helped the club return to the upper echelons of English football from one of their lowest ebbs, BetMGM is here to take you through some of the most iconic players to take to the field for Wolves.

Steve Bull

• Position: Striker
• Apps: 561
• Goals: 306
• Memorable moment: Scoring over 50 goals in two consecutive seasons to clinch back-to-back promotions.

When it comes to Wolverhampton Wanderers legends you need look no further than Steve Bull.

‘Bully’ accumulated a club-record 306 goals during his 561 appearances in gold, winning the club’s player of the season award on three occasions.

In his 13 years at Molineux Bull scored a remarkable 18 hat-tricks and became the last player to be capped for England while playing outside of the top two divisions.

Bull joined Wolves with the club at its lowest ebb. Three consecutive relegations meant they were playing in the Fourth Division and off-field financial issues made the very existence of the club insecure.

The £65,000 paid to West Brom for Bull’s services would, pound for pound, turn out to be the best £65,000 ever spent by Wolves as he fired them out of the Fourth Division in 1987/88 and then back up to the Second Division the very next season.

A Football League Trophy success would also be Bull’s in 1988, with the striker scoring in every round of the competition until the 2-0 final success over Burnley at Wembley.

A year later he made the first of 13 England appearances. Bull went on to score four times for his country and featured in England’s 1990 World Cup campaign.

His 52 goals in 1987/88 were followed by a further half-century the season after — and Bull made it to double figures in every season until 1997/98 as Wolves strived to return to the top flight of English football.

While Bull would never appear in the First Division or Premier League for the club, his status as a club legend was never questioned.

The last of his staggering 18 hat-tricks for Wolves came against Barnet in 1998, a full 11 years after his first treble for the club against Hartlepool United. Injuries affected his latter years at Molineux and he was limited to just 17 appearances in his final season before announcing his retirement in July 1999.

A brief spell at Hereford United in non-league would follow, reuniting him with former Wolves boss Graham Turner, before he hung up his boots for good.

Since retirement, Bull has been honoured with a testimonial game in 2006 and he also has the prestige of a stand being named after him at Molineux — the Steve Bull Stand was renamed so in 2003.

A true Wolves legend, Bull will always be fondly remembered in the West Midlands and is often mentioned in any discussion concerning the club’s greatest-ever player.

Ruben Neves

• Position: Midfielder
• Apps: 253
• Goals: 30
• Memorable moment: Winning a hat-trick of personal awards as Wolves secured promotion to the Premier League.

One of the most successful signings under the Fosun International ownership, Neves joined then-Championship club Wolves in 2017 for what was, at the time, both a club and league record fee.

His arrival from FC Porto was a statement of intent for Wolves — and it paid off as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side went on to win the league with 99 points with Neves scoring six goals along the way and claiming the player of the season, players’ player of the season and goal of the season accolades.

Both Neves and Wolves made the step up to the Premier League easily, his four goals from midfield helping the club to seventh place and Europa League qualification. The Portuguese was such a mainstay in the Wolves side in the campaigns that followed that he went on to make over 200 appearances in all competitions.

He regularly deputised as captain when Conor Coady was unavailable and was appointed skipper on a full-time basis once the defender departed for Everton.

In 2023, after over 250 appearances, Neves was sold for a club record fee of £47 million to Al-Hilal. Fond memories remain of the midfielder's time at Molineux such is the pivotal role he played in Wolves’ return to, and consolidation in, the Premier League.

Joleon Lescott

• Position: Defender
• Apps: 235
• Goals: 13
• Memorable moment: Being a mainstay in the side that won promotion to the Premier League for the first time.

Joleon Lescott made his debut for Wolves at the age of just 17 and quickly established himself as a huge part of the first-team squad.

After breaking through from the youth team, Lescott won young player of the season for two years running in 2000/01 and 2001/02. The following year saw him play in all but one game of the 2002/03 campaign, culminating in a 3-0 victory over Sheffield United in the play-off final and promotion to the Premier League.

Injury robbed him of the entire 2003/04 Premier League season and, after suffering relegation, Lescott remained at the club for two further years as they tried to bounce back out of the Championship.

Impressive performances were unable to lead the team to promotion, however, with ninth and seventh place finishes in his final two seasons in gold.

Lescott was sold to Everton at the end of the 2005/06 season, for whom he would make 147 appearances and his England debut before Manchester City came calling four years later.

During five seasons in Manchester, he won the Premier League as well as both the FA and League Cups while playing Champions League football and at major international tournaments.

Andy Mutch

• Position: Striker
• Apps: 289
• Goals: 96
• Memorable moment: Winning back-to-back league titles and forming a formidable partnership with Steve Bull.

Andy Mutch arrived at Molineux from non-league Southport in 1986 and, despite being unable to prevent relegation to the Fourth Division, he was instrumental in Wolves bouncing back.

His 40 league goals between the two following seasons helped lead Wolves to back-to-back promotions — the 1988/89 season saw Mutch and strike partner Steve Bull notch an incredible 83 goals between them in all competitions.

Mutch remained with Wolves for three more seasons, continuing to excel alongside Bull. Despite their efforts they could not secure top-flight football at Molineux. During his time at Wolves Mutch was rewarded three England B appearances, as well as an under-21s call-up for his country.

The striker moved on to Premier League side Swindon Town for £250,000, where he played his one and only top-flight season, but it is for his time at Wolves he is best remembered.

Helping to turn around a club at rock bottom, he will always be a fan favourite at Molineux.

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