Wolves' 2012 Relegation Squad: Where Are They Now?
Wolves are on the brink of relegation to the Championship, nearly 14 years after their last Premier League drop in the 2011/12 season. That campaign ended with a 3-2 defeat at Wigan, despite a brief lead from Matt Jarvis and a late goal by Steven Fletcher. As speculation swirls around current players, let's revisit the fate of the squad that last experienced relegation with Wolves.
Goalkeepers and Defenders
Dorus de Vries, the Dutch goalkeeper, made four league appearances that season, including one against Wigan. After ten total appearances, he moved to Nottingham Forest following Wolves' back-to-back relegations. He retired in 2019 after a stint at Celtic.
Christophe Berra, a Scottish defender signed for £2.5 million from Hearts in 2009, made over 150 appearances for Wolves. He left after the League One relegation, spending four years at Ipswich under ex-boss Mick McCarthy. After returning to Hearts and retiring at Raith Rovers, he coached at Livingston and now manages Huntsville City in the MLS Next Pro.
Richard Stearman remained with Wolves after relegation, playing over 230 times and later returning on loan. He helped the club back into League One and played for several sides before ending his career at Solihull Moors. Recently, he surprised many by coaching at Swansea City.
Stephen Ward left after 239 appearances, joining Burnley post-relegation. He enjoyed a decent top-flight career before retiring with Stoke, Ipswich, and Walsall. He then coached at Brackley with ex-teammate Roger Johnson and served as director of football at Solihull Moors before moving to Dubai as head of football development for Dubai Irish.
Ronald Zubar, a French defender, played few games in the Championship before departing. He moved to France and the MLS, retiring to become a coach and entrepreneur, often appearing on podcasts.
Midfielders and Forwards
Dave Edwards stayed through the second relegation, helping Wolves climb back to the Championship. After three appearances in their return to the top flight, he signed for Reading, later returning to Shrewsbury Town and Bala Town. He worked as a broadcaster for Sky Sports but recently returned as a first-team coach at Shrewsbury.
Karl Henry remained after the drop, leaving after 272 appearances to join QPR. Spells with Bolton and Bradford followed, and he ended his playing days at Boldmere St Michaels, where he now manages the women's team after working in their academy.
Matt Jarvis, signed from Gillingham, played 175 games before being sold post-relegation. He flourished at West Ham, moved to Norwich, and ended his career with Walsall and Woking.
Stephen Hunt joined from Hull, experiencing both relegations before moving to Ipswich and Coventry. After retiring, he became an agent, launching Stephen Hunt Management with a roster of players across English football.
Kevin Doyle scored three goals in League One and had loan spells at QPR and Crystal Palace. He ended his career in the MLS with Colorado Rapids and now coaches youth football in Ireland while breeding racehorses.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake became a cult hero with 64 goals in 193 games, including 15 during the relegation season. He joined Ipswich but never regained his form, moving into non-league. Last year, he won a court case against a surgeon over a leg break operation from his Wolves days.
Substitutes and Unused Players
Carl Ikeme spent his entire career at Wolves, aside from loan spells. He was the number one keeper in the Championship and League One until diagnosed with leukaemia in 2017. After remission, he retired and took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, winning the British Open and a bronze at the IBJJF European Championship.
Steven Fletcher, who scored against Wigan, left for Sunderland and played in France, Stoke, Sheffield Wednesday, and Scotland. He ended his career at Wrexham, helping them to the Championship, and now works as a pundit with a YouTube golf channel.
Anthony Forde stayed until 2014, then played for Walsall, Rotherham, Oxford, Wrexham, and Burton Albion, currently at Altrincham.
Roger Johnson spent two years on loan with Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham, and Charlton before departing for Pune in India. He returned to Charlton, ended at Bromley, and coached at Brackley Town.
George Elokobi had loan spells during the Championship relegation season and left after a few League One appearances. He played for Oldham and Colchester, moved to non-league, and won a title at Maidstone, where he now manages, leading them to the FA Cup last 16.
Nenad Milijas, a Serbian international, scored nine goals in 73 games before his contract was terminated. He played in Turkey and China, retired at Red Star Belgrade, and now coaches in their academy and for Serbia's under-21s.
Eggart Johnson signed from Hearts in 2011 but played only seven times. He later had 50 games for Fleetwood and spells in Portugal, Denmark, and Iceland.
