Feature: The Wolves loanees playing overseas

There are 15 players out at sides across Europe, with nine at partner club FC Jumilla.

Some are performing pretty well too. Here, Joe Edwards gives you the low-down.

RAFA MIR (Las Palmas, for the season)

Signed for £1.5million from Valencia in January, Mir only featured four times – failing to score – as Wolves clinched the Championship crown.

The 21-year-old centre forward went on to admit he found it difficult to settle in an already ‘assembled team’ and, after goals against Basel and Young Boys during the tour of Switzerland, the Molineux hierarchy saw fit to send him back to his homeland, to boost his confidence.

And that move, so far, has worked.

Mir has netted an impressive four times in nine games – a goal every 136 minutes – in La Liga 2, prompting some supporters to suggest he may be the answer to Wolves’ current striking woes.

There is no recall option in January though.

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell recently explained: “The plan was always to leave him for the full season.

“Nuno thought he needed a good run at settling into a season but he has come to prominence through scoring so many goals and we are monitoring him closely.”

MICHAL ZYRO (Pogon Szczecin, for the season)

Another No.9 who has returned to his own country in a bid to regain his scoring touch is Zyro.

Things have not gone as sweetly for the 26-year-old, due to an adductor injury.

He made his first appearance for Pogon in the Polish top flight last weekend though, coming on for the final five minutes of a 3-0 victory against Lech Poznan.

Fingers crossed Zyro, who began his Wolves career brightly before a reckless challenge from MK Dons’ Anthony Kay put him on the shelf for 17 months, is over that knock and can force his way into their starting XI.

RODERICK MIRANDA (Olympiakos, for the season)

In the infancy of Nuno Espirito Santo’s revolution, Miranda was a prominent part of the three-man defence.

But while Conor Coady and Willy Boly stood the test of time, the Portuguese stopper soon found himself out of the side.

The 27-year-old made just four of his 19 appearances in old gold after Christmas and is now in the Greek Super League, under compatriot Pedro Martins who also managed him at Rio Ave, the team which Wolves signed him from on a four-year deal.

He has played nine times in all competitions, even chipping in with a couple of assists from the back.

Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves said on Miranda: "It's certainly fair to say that it's been an underwhelming campaign so far for Olympiakos under the guidance of Martins. They've struggled to put results together consistently.

"Most of Miranda's appearances have come in the Europa League.

"I saw him play against Crete in the league where Olympiakos suffered a shock, quite humbling 1-0 defeat.

"He played the entire game and, to be honest, should probably be at least partially blamed for the goal conceded, not tracking the run into the box and making little effort to stop the cross from reaching its man.

"I also remember Olympiakos' game away to Burnley in a Europa League qualifier, and he often looked uncomfortable and wasn't too convincing. They were lucky to draw that one. But it was early in the season so I think he's slowly improving."

JACK RUDDY, SYLVAIN DESLANDES, RYAN LEAK, AARON SIMPSON, BOUBACAR HANNE, WILL RANDALL, BEN STEVENSON, MING-YANG YANG AND DONOVAN WILSON (FC Jumilla, for the season)

When a partnership was agreed with the Spanish third-tier outfit – in which Wolves youngsters would be sent there to get game time and, in return, Jumilla coaches would come over here to learn – back in the summer, a fair few eyebrows were raised.

But it has proved a fairly valuable exercise.

Thelwell, in September, went over the reasons for the move.

“The loan market is very different in England, people take players without necessarily giving them the opportunity to play,” he said.

“We wanted to find some cooperation to give our players the opportunity to evolve as players and people.

“For all the lads over there it’s an opportunity to play senior football, be more independent, be enriched by the experience and come back better for it.”

And the vast majority of them have played for Jumilla, who also have Chinese owners.

Wilson, who along with Deslandes has played for Wolves’ first team, has featured in nine matches and is their joint top scorer.

The 21-year-old has come up with two of their seven league goals, one being the winner against Almeria II and the other arriving in a 3-1 loss to FC Cartagena.

Teenage Portuguese midfielder Hanne, with eight appearances to his name, got on the scoresheet as they beat UCAM Murcia 2-1 too.

Defenders Ryan Leak and Aaron Simpson, who both had spells at non-league AFC Telford United last term, have played seven and five times respectively. And left-back Deslandes, after an unproductive stint with Kenny Jackett’s Portsmouth last campaign, has made four appearances.

Yang and Stevenson have made eight and Randall three while Scottish keeper Ruddy is the only one not to have had any minutes in the league.

THE REST

Full-back Phil Ofosu-Ayeh is at German third-tier team Hansa Rostock until January, after failing to make an appearance for Wolves last term because of injury. He has played six times and provided an assist.

Dutch foward Paul Gladon, who joined Belgian side Sint-Truiden on a four-month loan in August, came on for the final few seconds of a 3-1 victory over Royal Mouscron on October 6 and has not featured since.

Midfielder Christian Herc is enjoying life back in Slovakia. He has scored three goals in 13 Fortuna Liga starts for FC DAC 1904, where he will remain until the end of their season in March.