The International break is a fantastic time for fans and on-lookers to take stock of their clubs position at this stage of the campaign, and for Wolves everything is looking rosy.
The Black Country club are currently riding high on top of the Championship with one of the most exciting and promising squads ever assembled in the 2nd tier of English football. The goals are flowing, the Manager is is demand, and with players like Jota, Neves and Bonatini grabbing all the headlines, a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2012 looks very much on the cards.
The flash European signings have been arriving by the truck load at Molineux and have rightly been the subject of much of the praise over the first 16 games of the campaign, but it would be foolish to overlook the importance of their new goalkeeper over the coming weeks and months.
Having been released from his contract at Norwich City, John Ruddy was snapped up by Wolves on a free transfer in the summer, and outside of the local area it was a transfer that went through barely noticed. Ruddy had gone stale at the Canaries after over seven years but in a Wolves squad full of youthful talent, but very little experience in a promotion race, the signing of a man who has been there and done it could prove to be a masterstroke.
It is easy to forget that Ruddy was once considered one of the best English goalkeepers in the sport and he even earned a cap for England back in 2012 due to his remarkable rise with Norwich.
Most importantly of all though, he has been there and done it with two promotions from the Championship to the Premier League with the Canaries, and it is impossible to put a value on that experience. This Wolves squad are sure to have their struggles in 2018 as they head towards the business end of the season, and having a calming presence like Ruddy in goal during those periods could well prove to be crucial.
Injuries will come, loss of form will come and how this Wolves squad deals with adversity could well prove to be the acid test of their long term future. A man like John Ruddy is fully equipped to deal with those ups and downs and his place in the team should not be underestimated over a long campaign.
Ruddy reportedly turned down a number of other offers to take on the challenge in Wolverhampton, and so far that appears to have been the right decision for both parties.
Wolves have been breathtaking at times in attack this term but without a solid defence, the likes of Jota and Bonatini would be unable to thrive. Wolves have conceded just 15 goals in 16 games in the League and Ruddy has proven to be a calming and experienced head between the sticks during that time.
The England International has kept eight clean sheets in the Championship and that has gone largely un-noticed given the fireworks at the other end of the pitch. Given the attacking talent at their disposal, Wolves don't need to have the best defence in the Championship but their title challenge will fade if they are unable to keep the back door shut, and the presence of Ruddy is vital in that regard.
The one worry at the start of the new season, despite their big spending in the summer, was the lack of experience in the Championship amongst the Wolves players, and Nuno deserves great credit for adding Ruddy to the squad with that in mind. The awfull illness to Carl Ikeme remains right in the front of the minds of all Wolves fans but in Ruddy, they have the ideal replacement for one of the most popular members of the squad.
Not just a leader on the pitch, Ruddy has been a leader off of it this campaign so far with the former Norwich man waxing lyrical about the current Wolves playing staff at any opportunity he can.
this squad is probably the best I’ve played with
Ruddy won't get the plaudits if Wolves can continue their sizzling form in the Championship, and maybe that's the way he likes it, but he is going to be equally important as the star names at the other end of the pitch. Wolves go to Reading on Saturday afternoon and these are the sort f matches when John Ruddy could well prove his importance to the cause once again.
The Royals have won their last two matches, scoring seven goals in the process, and if Wolves are going to achieve their aims this season, big performances at tough venues like the Madejski Stadium are going to be needed on a weekly basis.
