Mick McCarthy has hailed the form of Jody Craddock and admitted it could earn him a new deal.
Wolves boss hails revitalised defender
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has hailed the recent form of revitalised defender Jody Craddock and admitted it could earn him a contract extension.
The 34-year-old will make his 200th appearance for Wolves in Saturday's home game against Wigan and has been in perhaps the best form of his career this season.
A £1.75million signing from Sunderland in 2003, his days at Molineux looked numbered in 2007 when he was allowed to join Stoke on a month's loan.
But Craddock returned to the club to re-establish himself in the Wolves defence, helping them win the Championship title last season.
He has been a mainstay in Wolves' battle to remain in the Premier League and even scored four goals in five games earlier in the campaign.
"Jody has been terrific," said McCarthy. "He was out on loan at Stoke a couple of years ago, I brought him back and he has been terrific ever since.
"I have to be honest - he looked like he was leaving at one stage. At that time we had players playing better than him in the team.
"Then I put him back in and he stopped others from getting in the team by his performances.
Invaluable
"Players like him and (veteran goalkeeper) Marcus Hahnemann are invaluable, those sort of guys.
"They keep doing the right things and then get in the team and the message is 'right, now move me'.
"Jody really has been unmovable and he has got us some vital goals as well - he was top scorer at one time. When he goes up for set-pieces, he attacks the ball and really means it.
"If he carries on playing the way he is, he will give me food for thought (regarding a new contract)."
Craddock was unable to prevent Wolves losing to Liverpool and Manchester City in their last two league games.
But victory over Wigan this weekend would put them three points clear of the Latics and could send McCarthy's men up into mid-table.
Open
"It looks like the most open league for a long time with 'only' five points between 10th spot and 19th," he added.
"After we won against Burnley two or three weeks back, we went from being in the bottom three up to 12th position. It really is that tight.
"It is alright saying there is 'only' five points to get to reach 10th spot. Every point in this league is hard fought for.
"But we showed what can happen when we suddenly put together a run of three wins in four matches not long ago.
"This is another of those games which is emotionally more stressful, one of those tense games, because it is between two teams near to each other in the table."
