Express & Star

Meet the man who makes Wolves stars feel at home

If you’ve been a Wolves player or manager in the past 20 years, the chances are you’ve called on the services of Andrew Pearce.

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Portuguese internationals Joao Moutinho and Rui Patricio flank Millennium’s Andrew Pearce

From Ron Flowers to Ruben Neves, Mick McCarthy to Nuno Espirito Santo, the great and good of Wolverhampton Wanderers have enlisted him to help them move into the city when joining Wolves, writes Paul Berry.

Pearce has run lettings agency Millennium Properties since 1997. It started in his parents’ dining room before he moved to his own office in Darlington Street and now in Tettenhall.

Robbie Keane, Diogo Jota, Walter Zenga, Henri Camara, Bakary Sako, Ivan Cavaleiro and many, many more – they’ve all been helped into their new homes by Andrew.

It’s a crucial part of making a player feel settled at the club.

Andrew, a former pupil at Smestow School, said: “My connection with Wolves begun not long after I had graduated from university.

“At the time I was involved in lease negotiation, and I first started chatting to Rachael Heyhoe-Flint because Wolves were looking to put some retail shops in the town centre.

“I quickly moved from commercial lettings into residential, and was asked by Rachael to help Wolves with rented properties for new signings.

Kevin Foley, Stephen Ward & Matt Jarvis with Pearce

“It was the time when Mark McGhee was manager, and the kitman Taff Davies was one of the first people that we looked after.

“Since then we have had dealing with many different managers at Wolves including Colin Lee, Dave Jones, Stale Solbakken, Kenny Jackett, Walter Zenga and, most recently, Nuno Espirito Santo.

“In those days Rachael would recommend us to people that came in, and I remember after the club went into the Premier League for the first time, driving around with her looking at properties with people like Mrs Craddock (Jody’s wife Shelley), Henri Camara and his family, Oleg Luzhny and Steffen Iversen.

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“We also helped out the first of many Portuguese players to arrive, and indeed a friend of some of the current coaches, in Silas.

“Rachael would check out all the local schools for the children and we would help out with the houses.

“From there we built a relationship of trust, which was the same with Jez Moxey and now MD Laurie (Dalrymple) and those currently at Wolves including Jeff Shi.

“I’d like to think the club know we will always look after the players that come our way, and we are very proud of the link-up and the relationships that we have built.”

Nuno Espirito Santo and Andrew’s mum Hazel

From those early days with Wolves, which included Robbie Keane joining Kevin Muscat and Robert Niestroj in officially opening their new premises, Millennium Properties have also moved on to help many other players, coaches and managers from Villa, Albion, Blues and Walsall.

The list is seemingly endless, with those who have rented properties or used Millennium Properties’ services such as Stiliyan Petrov, Christian Benteke, Salomon Rondon, Kevin Doyle, Conor Coady, Rui Patricio, Helder Costa, Raul Jimenez, Adlene Guedioura, George Boateng, Scott Sinclair, Darren Bent, Bakary Sako and the late Dean Richards.

Ron Flowers used the company’s services to rent out properties he had been given after finishing his illustrious Wolves and England career, while there have also been several landlord-against-tenant battles down the years – including Jarvis against Leandro Bacuna and Joe Bennett, Romain Saiss against Rondon, Benteke against John Ruddy and Doyle against Sinclair.

Many of the current Wolves’ contingent who have moved from Portugal are in accommodation handled by Millennium Properties, and Andrew believes the contacts and networking build up over two decades in the industry have served him – and the club – extremely well.

“We might get asked not only about properties but also the different areas they can move into, information on personal trainers for the partners, hairdressers, venues for children’s parties, all sorts!” he added.

Pearce, Robert Niestroj, Robbie Keane, Kevin Muscat

“We do keep in touch with all of our clients to try and help out when we can, to go the extra yard when needed, and over the years many have become friends – I was even asked to be best man at one ex-player’s wedding.

“As someone who has been born and brought up in Wolverhampton, it is great to see the team doing so well in the Premier League – long may that continue!”