Wolves' Championship promotion sides – who makes your best XI?

Listening to Dave Jones, Paul Butler and Colin Cameron speak last night at a special charity bash to mark 15 years since the 2003 play-off win got me thinking – how many of that team would get in Nuno Espirito Santo's title-winning XI? Paul Ince surely? How about Joleon Lescott?

And then you can throw it open to the 2008/09 vintage of Mick McCarthy. So how about combining the three teams to pick a promotion XI? This could take a while...

Goalkeepers (appearances in brackets)

2002/03 – Matt Murray (40), Michael Oakes (6)

2008/09 – Wayne Hennessey (34), Carl Ikeme (12)

2017/18 – John Ruddy (45)

Nice easy choice to start with then (!).

The three main contenders – Ruddy kept 24 clean sheets and brought experience and Championship nous to an inexperienced side, Hennessey matured into a fine keeper who was solid and dependable and a young Murray (aged 21) enjoyed a breakthrough season with some outstanding performances.

Tim's choice: By the tightest of margins it would be Murray for me.

Full-backs

2002/03 – Denis Irwin (43), Lee Naylor (31+1), Marc Edworthy (18+4), Marc Clyde (15+2)

2008/09 – Stephen Ward (38+4), Kevin Foley (45), Matt Hill (13), George Elokobi (3+1)

2017/18 – Matt Doherty (45), Barry Douglas (38+1), Ruben Vinagre (8+1)

At right back there's an almost impossible decision to choose between three extremely consistent Irishmen – Matt Doherty, Kevin Foley and Denis Irwin.

The latter was at the back end of his career but made a huge difference to a team that had fallen short at the death a year earlier. Doherty was just about the most consistent player in the league, while Foley, it's easy to forget, was named as player of the season in 2008/09.

Left-back is between the superb Barry Douglas, 14 assists for the campaign, the local lad made good, Lee Naylor and the striker-turned-left-back Stephen Ward.

Tim's choice: All great candidates but it's got to be two players who arguably had the seasons of their career – Foley and Douglas

Centre-backs

2002/03 – Paul Butler (31+1), Joleon Lescott (44)

2008/09 – Richard Stearman (32+5), Christophe Berra (15), Jody Craddock (17), Neill Collins (20+3)

2017/18 – Willy Boly (36), Conor Coady (45), Ryan Bennett (27+2), Danny Batth (15+1), Roderick Miranda (16+1)

Butler was a commanding leader and Lescott was just about the most talented centre-half seen at Molineux in years, on his way to a glittering career that would include England caps and a Premier League title.

The 2008/09 side didn't have a settled partnership through the season but each player made a crucial contribution.

Coady's conversion to centre-half was an utter masterstroke, Boly was a metaphorical brick wall and Bennett and Batth both played key roles.

Tim's choice: Seen as we're going with four at the back, Boly just, just, just gets the nod over Coady. Alongside him it has to be Lescott.

Central midfielders

2002/03 – Alex Rae (30+8), Colin Cameron, (29+4), Paul Ince (35+2)

2008/09 – Karl Henry (42+1), David Jones (31+3), David Edwards (23+21)

2017/18 – Ruben Neves (42), Romain Saiss (37+5), Alfred N'Diaye (13+20)

Now I know how tough Dave Jones' job was...how on earth do you decide between Rae, Ince and Cameron, let alone the rest?!

The aforementioned trio were good enough for the Premier League at the time and helped drive Wolves forward as they stormed into the play-offs in the second half of the campaign.

Henry was an excellent captain and an underrated defensive shield who allowed the creative talents in front of him to flourish.

As for last season's team, well Neves is just about the most technically gifted player to wear a Wolves shirt in the past three decades.

Some of the things he did were almost beyond belief.

Tim's choice: Neves and Ince. What a combination of technique, ability, bravery and combativeness.

Wingers/forwards

2002/03 – Shaun Newton (29+4), Mark Kennedy (30+1), Kevin Cooper (13+13)

2008/09 – Michael Kightly (37+1), Matt Jarvis (21+7)

2017/18 – Diogo Jota (43+1), Ivan Cavaleiro (31+11), Helder Costa (21+15)

Goals and assists galore here. Kennedy and Newton were arguably stronger the season before but were both crucial components of Jones' team.

Kightly and Jarvis excelled as Wolves' flying wingers under Mick McCarthy, while Jota, Cavaleiro and Costa produced sublime football and creativity.

Tim's choice: The exceptional Kightly has to be in there. Jota on the left and then Cavaleiro floating behind the main striker. That'll do.

Strikers

2002/03 – Kenny Miller (35+8), Nathan Blake (22+1), George Ndah (17+8), Dean Sturridge (17+22)

2008/09 – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (41), Chris Iwelumo (25+6), Sam Vokes (4+32)

2017/18 – Leo Bonatini (29+14), Benik Afobe (7+9)

Jones had the luxury of four experienced strikers who knew where the net was. Miller hit 19 in the league, Blake 12, Sturridge 10 and Ndah seven.

Ebanks-Blake (25 goals) was one of the most prolific strikers in the country during 2007/08 and 2008/09 and his partnership with Iwelumo (14 goals), who enjoyed the most purple patch of his career, was a joy to watch.

Bonatini began last season on fire with 12 goals in 19, before Afobe picked up the mantle with six goals towards the end of the campaign.

Tim's choice: Whenever the ball dropped to him in the box, you knew it would be in the back of a net a second later. It has to be Ebanks-Blake.

Tim's team (4-4-1-1): Murray; Foley, Boly, Lescott, Douglas; Kightly, Ince, Neves, Jota; Cavaleiro; Ebanks-Blake.

Who would be in your team? Let us know in the comments below.