Forget MGW: Wolves may already have their Neves heir in gem who "makes things happen" - opinion

Ruben Neves is widely expected to leave Wolves this summer after five years at the club, but the Old Gold may already have an ideal replacement in their ranks.

While Morgan Gibbs-White is the name on many Wolves fans’ lips after his impressive loan spell in the Championship with Sheffield United, there was another Molineux academy prospect doing the business with St Mirren in Scotland.

Connor Ronan has managed just 13 first-team appearances in nearly eight years at the Midlands club, having joined from Rochdale‘s academy as a teenager.

The 24-year-old has endured a plethora of loan spells away from Wolves without ever really being given an opportunity in the first team at Molineux.

The Irish midfielder failed to set the world alight in the EFL, struggling for regular game-time in spells at Portsmouth, Blackpool and Walsall, with frankly bizarre stints at Dunajska Streda and Grasshopper Zurich also featuring on the youngster’s CV.

However, last season saw him find his feet in Scotland with St Mirren, where he was a key player for the Buddies throughout the season. He made 30 appearances in total, in which he contributed an impressive eight goals and five assists, despite Stephen Robinson’s side finishing ninth from 12 in the Premiership table.

His performances in Scotland, which included some spectacular goals, were enough to see him win the Player of the Year and Goal of the Season awards, so he will surely return to Wolves in a confident mood ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bruno Lage certainly has a decision to make on the 24-year-old, as another loan spell surely wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone. With Neves potentially on his way out, the Portuguese boss will need another creative midfielder in his squad.

Ronan can