Henry happy to be a fan again
Wolves captain Karl Henry has revealed the perfect antidote over his exile from the team – being a fan again.
Wolves captain Karl Henry has revealed the perfect antidote over his exile from the team – being a fan again.
The hometown skipper has bought tickets for Sunday's derby against his former club Stoke and plans to watch all three games he is suspended for, also travelling to Fulham before returning to Molineux for the home game against Blackburn on April 24.
Henry was involved in every minute of 38 of the club's 40 league and cup games, before his sending off against Arsenal on Saturday caused him to miss the last 24 minutes.
So the 27-year-old, who was an unused substitute for the other two games, understandably feels lost without pulling on a gold shirt.
Although the midfielder cannot play a part on the pitch, Ashmore Park-bred Henry wants to do his bit off the park until his return to action at Portsmouth on May 1.
He said: "I'll be at all the games – I'm going to travel away to Fulham too, because I feel very much part of things here. I've led this team the whole season and I'll be there for these next three games to make sure I'm doing my bit to help out.
"It's a weird one – it's become the norm for me to be playing, so it will feel strange come Saturday afternoons.
"I'll probably be biting my nails and be with the rest of the Wolves supporters hoping the team can produce the goods and get the points in the bag."
Not surprisingly for someone who was at Stoke for over seven years from from leaving school and played 136 games for them, Sunday's derby will be a nostalgic as well as a family affair for Henry.
He said: "I'll be in the stand with my family, because they're all Wolves fans as well. But I've just bought eight tickets for the Stoke game, so I've got a lot of people coming to the game.
"I've invited my old landlord and landlady from when I played at Stoke to the game, so I need to ring and check that they're still coming to the match!
"So it's another reason to be disappointed, having to watch."
Wolves may have a five-point cushion to the drop zone, but that advantage could be eroded by Sunday with Hull, West Ham and Wigan all at home on the Saturday, to Burnley, Sunderland and all-but-relegated Portsmouth respectively.
Henry wants the team to have sewn up survival by the time of his return, but admits the team just need as many points as possible.
He said: "Who knows what it's going to take? I think we just have to take as many points as we can.
"There is no points tally or target that we're trying to get to, I think we just have to get as many wins and points on the board as we can."
The captain had a taste of what it will feel like to be a fan, after his harsh red card after being forced to watch a good portion the second half from the stands at the Emirates Stadium.
But Henry still cannot help but feel for the 10 players left to soldier on gamely last weekend.
He said: "I felt the same as all the supporters who were there and all those listening at home on the radio. A point would have been fantastic on Saturday and I was devastated for the 10 lads left on the pitch.
"They defended so well and were so resolute and organised for so long. It was a travesty, a real gut-wrencher that they got that late goal and just horrible to lose.
"Thankfully results went for us and games are running out, so as long as they peter out with the other teams unable to make that gap up to us, we'll be OK."
Like team-mate Jody Craddock, Henry admits Wolves' run-in could have looked more difficult but stresses they still need the points to be sure of being in the Premier League next season.
The skipper said: "Our run-in isn't too bad, but each game is going to be tough and we've just got to keep going.
"Until it's mathematically impossible for us to go down, then we'll keep fighting tooth and nai
A harsh suspension also triggered off a familiar sinking feeling at this time of the season for the Wolves captain.
For Henry, missing part of the climax of a campaign has unfortunately become part of his Molineux career.
He explained: "In two of the three previous seasons I've been here, I've missed part of the last bit of them which has been really frustrating.
"In my first season I had a damaged spleen which kept me out of the play-offs, then I had a medial ligament injury which kept me out of four of the last five games of the second.
"Thankfully I didn't miss anything in the final part of last season, but now I'm sitting out of three of the last five major games. It's devastating but the frustrating part is I also feel it's unjust and unfair.
"The referee has decided my fate for the next three games, so it's out of my hands."