Yannick Sagbo a star in Qatar – Wolves' Where Are They Now?
With Raul Jimenez already on 15 goals for the season, things are going swimmingly in attack for Wolves.
The Mexican has led the line expertly over the past year and a half, and the vast majority see him as the best centre forward the club have had in the last 10 years.
Firmly at the other end of the spectrum – among the most ineffective strikers to pull on a gold and black shirt since the turn of the decade – is Yannick Sagbo, writes Joe Edwards.
Four appearances on loan from Hull in the 2014/15 season – where Wolves also had Danny Graham arrive on a temporary basis and flatter to deceive – made for grim viewing.
The Ivorian was ineffective, failing to find the net.
Wolves also did not win any of the games he played a part in.
It was then deemed best for all parties to cut his stay short, returning to Hull where – unsurprisingly, given how utterly abject his displays were for Kenny Jackett – he did not score before being released.
Frankly, it was a relief to see Sagbo leave Wolves earlier than planned. It was a case of putting him out of his misery.
So, it is a shock that Sagbo has since been able to find his shooting boots in the Middle East.
Now 31, the cash-rich Qatar has been his home for four years.
And he is a star player for Umm Salal, in the Qatar Stars League.
Sagbo scored 13 goals in 22 games in his debut season – and he has never looked back.
An even more impressive 15 in 22 came in the second campaign, before 10 in 18, and then nine in 21.
This term, Sagbo has netted four times in nine appearances – for an eye-catching total of 51 from 92.
It is a far cry from what he did for Wolves, when he earned criticism from Jackett.
He said in October 2014 while gold and black chief: “We were hoping he’d make an immediate impact – he wasn’t brought in with us thinking ‘we need three months with this guy.’
“It was with the intention that he could come (and play) straight away. But he needs games to get to his sharpest.
“He looks short of match practice and he’s been a substitute with me playing mainly Dave Edwards and Nouha Dicko.
“Sagbo’s job is to keep pushing them and when he gets that opportunity – and he’s had some minutes – to keep one out of the team.”
Ultimately, Sagbo never scored at Wolves – and never looked like he would.
But in Qatar, the story has turned out completely different – the goals have not stopped.
He is not the only ex-Wolves man over there either, with Adlene Guedioura – who had a more fruitful spell at Molineux – playing for Al-Gharafa.
