McCarthy hails Breen

Koen Freriks

22 oktober 2006, 20:04

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has paid tribute to veteran former Ireland defender Gary Breen after his side's fine start to the Coca-Cola Championship season.

Expectations were low at the start of the season after the departure of manager Glenn Hoddle and a host of established first-team players including as Joleon Lescott, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Lee Naylor.

However, McCarthy has steadied the ship to lift Wolves to fourth place in the table - and generate new-found hopes of a sustained tilt at promotion.

And the former Ireland boss believes the acquisition of free agent Breen in the summer has been a key factor in the club's initial revival.

He said: "I've worked with Gary Breen since I took him into the Irish squad in 1996 and if you check the number of caps he has won since then you get an idea of how I regard him.

"The fans have taken to him and I think deservedly so. But I knew what I was getting when he came into the club. He's a natural leader, a captain who doesn't need an armband."