lot has changed at Wolves since Vitor Pereira took over from Gary O’Neil earlier in the 2024/25 season.
Pereira recorded a record-breaking start to life as Wolves manager, going unbeaten in his first three games in the Premier League.
Naturally, the Portuguese coach has had his fair share of hurdles to overcome but, it’s becoming increasingly clear that he was the right hire.
Having been in the job at Molineux since December, Pereira’s favoured XI has started to emerge but, the boss is still open to a few surprises from his players.
Vitor Pereira surprised by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s emergence
Matheus Cunha’s influence at Wolves goes without saying but, the Brazilian isn’t the only player to have helped Pereira with a smooth transition to the Premier League.
A surprise figure has emerged as a strong shout to help the Old Gold in the run-in to survive relegation, with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde playing his part in recent weeks.
It’s been a hard season for the Frenchman, as Bellegarde has been exposed to criticism for the majority of the campaign but, things seem to be looking up for the 2023 signing.
Bellegarde was the star of the show against Aston Villa and has since earned a greater level of trust from his manager, which was something Pereira has recently touched upon.
Speaking to the media, Pereira was praising Joao Gomes’ stability in midfield before he chose to raise the revelation of Bellegarde in the middle.
“You know what happened with this suspension that he [Gomes] got, we won another midfielder,” the boss explained, via Express and Star.
“With Bellegarde, I thought that was not the position for him, but in the end, I’m very happy because we won another midfielder and a midfielder that I believe can help us.”
Being given a licence to roam in midfield has been a long-term desire of Bellegarde, who revealed it’s his favourite position when dissecting his five-star display against Villa in the derby.
Gary O’Neil had faith in Bellegarde in midfield
Signed from RC Strasbourg on deadline day in the summer transfer window of 2023, O’Neil was charmed by Bellegarde’s versatility but, at times had noted that the Frenchman was best in the middle.
In the pre-season of the 2024/25 campaign, O’Neil praised Bellegarde’s approach in midfield, admitting that he wanted to test the 26-year-old there.
What’s bizarre about Bellegarde’s stay at Wolves is that the player has rarely been gifted consistency in one role, as seen above through the positions he’s played.
It’s surprising given that Wolves signed the former Ligue 1 star due to his impressive displays in midfield for Strasbourg, where he was trusted the most.
Of course, having a player as versatile as Bellegarde is a treasure, given that the star can be trusted in a range of roles but, that doesn’t exempt him from being given the chance to show his worth in his favoured area.
Pereira’s latest comments seem to hint at the fact that the boss is ready to give O’Neil’s signing more of a chance in central midfield, which will be a good opportunity for the player to build some form.
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