It's 200 not out for Wolves' Richard Stearman
Defender Richard Stearman reaches his double century milestone for Wolves tonight insisting he is in the form of his life.
The 27-year-old is due to mark the visit of Sheffield Wednesday by playing his 200th League game in gold and black.
It's been a seven-year rollercoaster ride of five managers, three divisions, two promotions, two relegations and a loan spell at Ipswich.
But the Wolverhampton-born stopper has come through it all to play his best football.
"It's something I'll be very proud of – I didn't realise I was that close to it," said the centre-back, who moved to Molineux from Leicester for £1.6m in June 2008.
"Over the 200 games I'm probably in my best form since I've been at the club – certainly over the past two seasons.
"Hopefully I can mark it with three points – that would be the perfect way to do it – but don't jinx it now!
"A couple of things have helped – I'm older, I've matured as a player and I'm playing in my best position and have done so over a consistent period.
"I've been delighted with my form over the past two seasons and hopefully I can continue that for the rest of the season now.
"I certainly hope there's more to come from me.
"I'm still only 27 so I've got a lot of years left at centre-half, so long may it continue."
Stearman admits there have been no shortage of ups and downs in his time.
Wolves won promotion to the Premier League as champions in his first season when he was selected in the PFA's Championship team of the year, only to lose his place to Christophe Berra in the run-in.
Then in the top flight he was regularly shunted to right-back or as back up.
He only finally appeared regularly at centre-back under head coach Kenny Jackett after a loan spell at Ipswich when he thought his time as a Wolves player was up.
"I've played in three divisions for the club so it's certainly been a rollercoaster ride," he said.
"But I've enjoyed every minute – or most of it – so hopefully there are some more highs to come.
"I've come a long way from the player when I first turned up here.
"I've got a lot of people to thank for that but I'm delighted with the way I'm playing at the moment.
"I feel I'm 100 per cent better now than I was when I joined.
"Just my all-round game has improved; I'm better positionally – I make more blocks and I know what position to be in a lot more of the time.
"I think experience has helped – I was only 20 when I came here – and hadn't had a full season at centre-half.
"Now I'm hopefully rewarding the gaffer's persistence and faith with a couple of seasons of good performances.
"It seems I can read the game better and that's come through having a good run at centre-half."
Stearman in particular thanks Jackett for playing him in his natural and best position.
"He's helped me by continually picking me at centre-half which is my best position," he said.
"I played centre-half in our first promotion year (2009) but before the start of last season I hadn't played there for any length of time since, certainly never consistently or over a season."
Stearman believes the current team is as good as the one Mick McCarthy led to the title in 2009.
"It is - confidence is very high and we're confident we can get the points we need to gatecrash the play-offs," he said.
"The feeling in the dressing room is very positive - we're going under the radar a little bit as everyone is talking about the top seven, which we're fine with, and we're trying to gatecrash the play-offs."
Stuart Gray's mid-table Sheffield Wednesday have be hit and miss all season and the feeling is Wolves need to win to maintain their push for the top six.
"We're confident we can pick up three points," said Stearman.
"I don't know about it being a must-win as yet because we're three points off and there are a lot of games still to play.
"But we'd like the win to keep the pressure on the teams above us.
"We're certainly looking to tonight to pick up three points to set us up nicely to take on Derby under the lights at Molineux on Friday."
