Wolves head coach Rob Edwards says the signing of Kieran Trippier is proof the club remains a “big club”.
He praised the veteran defender’s arrival as the perfect way to begin a crucial summer rebuild.
The former England international has joined on a two-year deal, becoming Wolves’ first signing of the window as the club looks to bounce back strongly after relegation from the Premier League.
Trippier’s decision to drop into the Championship is being viewed internally as a major statement of intent, with Edwards believing it reflects Wolves’ continued pulling power despite recent setbacks.
The 35-year-old joins after leaving Newcastle United as a free agent, bringing top-level experience from spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Burnley.
His signing follows midfielder André committing his future to the club, with Wolves also exploring a potential return for Raul Jimenez as part of a wider squad overhaul.
Edwards believes the early momentum is exactly what the club needed.
“I’m so happy to bring him here, because when we met, it was really evident that he really wants to come to Wolves.
“He wants to help us get promoted again, so this is really something for us to achieve.
“There’s something to aim for, there’s something to play for, and he was really keen on that.
“He was also keen on stressing how important the dressing room will be, and that we’re able to do good work in this window, but he means business.
“He did have good options, so for us to be able to get it over the line and get him in is a real coup for us.
“But it shows what a big club we are. We are a big draw and building on the Andre news, I don’t think we could have had a better start to the summer with what we’re trying to do.”
Edwards stressed that Wolves needed to add leadership and experience after a difficult campaign that ended in relegation.
He believes Trippier ticks every box in terms of mentality, professionalism and winning pedigree.
“We know what we’ve lacked this year, and we know what we need next year.
“We’re going to need a lot of things, but experience and leadership and resilient characters, strong characters – that’s what we’re going to need and we’re going to need that in abundance, and Tripps ticks every box.
“From quality to experience to leadership to know how, and he also has a real hunger.”
Edwards also addressed wider concerns about Wolves’ squad culture, insisting the issue was not attitude but lack of experience in key moments.
“From the outside looking in, I know people will talk a lot about a change of culture. I did say a few times that there wasn’t a lot of bad lads in our group, it wasn’t that at all, but it was a lack of experience, especially in England.
“Maybe when the chips were down, it was probably hard for the group to drag the players with them, and that was a challenge.
“But it wasn’t because there was bad eggs, there was just a lack of know-how, and a lack of Premier League or English football experience, and we’re trying to get back to a bit of that.”
Wolves now continue their summer recruitment drive with the aim of building a squad capable of an immediate return to the top flight.
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