Pundit lauds player for long-term impact since joining the club – report

Former Wolves player and pundit Joleon Lescott has come out and praised Willy Boly after the club’s emphatic 4-0 win against Espanyol last night.

Wanderers tore apart the Spanish side who are currently bottom of La Liga, helping them have an almost unassailable lead going into the next leg.

Obviously miracles do happen, such as Barcelona knocking out PSG a few years ago, but it would take a monumental crumble for the team to not go through into the final 16 of the Europa League.

There were two standout moments from the match which do not include the French centre back. Firstly, Diogo Jota rounding off his hat-trick after a first-class performance, and then Ruben Neves’ volley which will be remembered by those who were at Molineux for many years to come.

However, former England defender Joleon Lescott heaped praise on Boly, who has had a huge impact since coming back into the first-team fold after a nasty injury. He went onto mention that he has been a huge figure since he joined back in the Championship.

Lescott told BT Sport: “He’s outstanding. His physical presence is unique and he has the agility and ability to get back [defensively]. He’s been instrumental in this team since he came to the club.”

Sometimes it can be hard to remember how much you miss a player until they start playing a game – and this certainly seems the case with Boly.

Playing on the right side of a three-man central defence, there was absolutely no indication to suggest that he is only just recently back from an injury. He looked comfortable on the ball and off it, making 54 passes throughout the match – more than any defender – and also chipping in with two clearances, one tackle and one interception, per WhoScored.

This was his third game back in the starting XI, and each one has resulted in Wolves clean sheet.

It’s not as if any game has been against easy opposition, either. Manchester United, Leicester and Espanyol in a European cup tie are hardly the most welcoming games to return to, but he has made the return seamless and has lifted others around him in the process.