Wolves mananger Mick McCarthy has revealed that Irish striker Andy Keogh is to join Cardiff City.
McCarthy left the Dublin born reland international out of his side's 2-1 Carling Cup win over Southend on Tuesday so the player is not cup-tied.
"It's a racing certainty that Andy will be going to Cardiff," said McCarthy.
Keogh, 24, will join Bluebirds signings Craig Bellamy, Seyi Olofinjana, Danny Drinkwater, Jason Koumas, Lee Naylor and Tom Heaton in south Wales.
Keogh has scored 49 goals in 180 competitive appearances for Leeds, Scunthorpe, Bury and Premier League Wolves since 2004 and is now set to join the Bluebirds bid to win promotion from the Championship.
McCarthy told Wolves' website: "He didn't want to be cup tied and Cardiff didn't want him to be cup tied and it was a chance for us to give Ashley Hemmings a game [against Southend].
"Andy has been fabulous here both for me and this football club. It's a good move for him to go to Cardiff and good luck to him.
"He wants to play football and doesn't want to be fourth in line here which I can fully understand.
"It was my decision to let him go but he goes with our best wishes and warmest regards."
Keogh has scored 49 goals in 180 competitive appearances for Leeds, Scunthorpe, Bury and Wolves.
Ireland’s Stephen Hunt won Player of the Year in his previous two seasons at both Reading and Hull. But he hopes he won’t make it a treble at Wolves – after both clubs were relegated in the same season.
Hunt is the only one of boss Mick McCarthy’s summer signings who hasn’t played for his new club yet and it is likely to be October before he finally makes his debut.
But hopes are high that the Portlaoise born winger will have a similar impact on Wolves that he had on his the Royals and the Tigers – and quickly banish any thoughts of a struggle against the drop.
“I didn’t think anyone was going to pick up on that!” said the 29-year-old when asked about the statistic.
“It’s been frustrating to win Player of the Season and get relegated twice. “Perhaps it’s a bad omen but we’ll see how we go here.”
Maybe Hull would have stayed up had Hunt been fit after suffering a foot injury from a Ronald Zubar challenge against Wolves in January.
“The last two and a half months of the season were out of my hands really,” said Hunt, whose six goals up to that point made him Hull’s top scorer.
“It was very frustrating but Hull were very good about the whole situation and with what I wanted to do, so I thank them for that.”
Now relieved to be among more faces he knows at Wolves, Hunt, who signed a three-year deal at Molineux, believes familiarity can breed success as Wolves look to build on last season’s 15th-placed finish.
Married to Kevin Doyle’s cousin, Hunt forms a former Reading quartet with Doyle, Marcus Hahnemann and Greg Halford.
He also rooms with Andy Keogh on Ireland trips, from where he also knows Kevin Foley, while he has bumped into fellow Irishman Stephen Ward enough times to call him a friend and has played against most Wolves players.
“I’ve got an awful lot of friends here, which helped me settle in,” said Hunt.
“Kevin and Marcus are obvious ones, but there’s Andy and Kevin Foley I know through Ireland and I’ve met Stephen a few times so I know him very well.”
After failing with four bids rising to £5m in January, Wolves’ faith in Hunt was amplified by signing him when he was still three months away from being fit following the complicate foot injury.
It was some statement – and the 29-year-old is anxious to repay McCarthy.
“They came in when I’m not fit which shows they’ve got so much faith in me,” he said.
“They really wanted me which made me really want to come here – but I always wanted to come here anyway.”
With Matt Jarvis adapted to the Premier League and Michael Kightly nearing full fitness again, Hunt knows to battle for his place.
But confidence is not something he is short of and the bubbly character believes his all-action as well as his goal threat will impress at Wolves.
“I’ve got competition because a few of the lads finished last season strongly and they did a good job so I’ve got to get my head down and do my bit,” he said.
“The players who played last season will get better this time too because they have had the experience of a year at this level.
“But we need to add to it as well and hopefully I can do my bit.
“When you play midfield in the modern game you have to have a bit of everything.
“Hopefully I can score the same amount of goals if not more once I stay injury-free.
“I want to set up a few goals for Kevin Doyle or whoever is playing up front and to get plenty of crosses into the box, that’s my job really.”
Having played together at Reading for four years, Doyle is looking forward to linking up with him again.
“As well as his qualities on the pitch, he’ll be a boost off the pitch as well because he’s lively and a very good fellow,” said the striker.
“He’ll be good for keeping everyone positive as well as playing well on the pitch.
“We had a lot of success at Reading – he’s a good player and he’s easy for team-mates to play with.”
Wolves insist Stephen Hunt will return as good as before after dismissing fears of his injury.
The 28-year-old Ireland international completed his £3m move to Molineux yesterday on a three-year contract, despite being in rehabilitation for a damaged foot sustained against Wolves at the end of January.
Both the club and Hunt, who attended his press conference on crutches, steered away from setting comeback dates apart from confirming he will miss the first few games of the season.
Wolves’ concerns at Hunt’s injury – he had to have a ligament re-attached to his foot – and the subsequent price were believed to have been factors in the delay in getting the deal done.
But chief executive Jez Moxey and the club are satisfied Hunt will make a full recovery.
He said: “I accept that it’s unusual for players to be bought when they’re injured. But we’ve tracked Stephen for a very long time. He’s doing well in terms of his rehabilitation.
“Hull have been very open in providing us with his medical records and the surgeons who performed the operation are very satisfied with the rehab and progress he’s making.
“There are no complications. It’s just a question of time and Stephen will play when he’s ready.
“He started work with us yesterday and has been working out in the anti-gravity treadmill.”
Hunt initially played on for three weeks with painkilling injections, after initial x-rays revealed no damage and he didn’t see a foot specialist at the time.
But, when the pain continued, the Republic of Ireland international eventually underwent an exploratory operation which showed some damage, and a little bone was pinned.
He said: “I wouldn’t say it was mis-diagnosed, but it took a bit longer than expected.
“But I had an x-ray in my medical which showed everything is in place – Wolves wouldn’t have signed me without having a good look at that.
“People only need to look at my Prozone statistics and that will tell you enough.
“I know what I’m capable of and where I want to get to and I’ll make sure I get there.
“I’ll miss the first few games of the season. Hopefully it won’t be too many but for the next two months, I’m going to be working tirelessly.
“Everyone is happy and I’m over the worst of it now.”
Wolves will step up their bid to sign Hull City winger Stephen Hunt this weekend.
Mick McCarthy looks set to return to the Tigers to further strengthen his squad for a second Premier League campaign with a move for Hunt.
Despite recently hinting his interest in the Ireland winger may have waned, it is understood that McCarthy is determined to have him in his squad next season.
Hunt, who is married to the sister of Wolves striker Kevin Doyle, missed the latter stages of City's season with a foot injury which will also entirely rule him out of pre-season.
A potential return date has been estimated as October at the earliest, although there are some fears it could be Christmas before he is ready to make a full return.
But a source close to the player has told the Mail that initial discussions have been held between the two clubs in recent days during negotiations over Mouyokolo's move.
And it is thought those talks will advance with a view to a deal being struck for Hunt in the next seven days.
Hunt's injury, combined with City's obvious need to sell, will prevent the Tigers from securing anywhere near the £5m offered by Wolves in January for the recently-crowned player of the season. But it is thought Wolves could yet beat the £3.5m offer already made by West Brom.
One Team In Ireland : Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is resigned to losing star striker Kevin Doyle if one of the Premier League's big guns come in for him at the end of the season.
The £6.5million signing from Reading has impressed McCarthy with his all-round play, despite only scoring six goals this season.
McCarthy has deployed the Ireland international as a lone striker in a revamped 4-5-1 formation that has reaped rewards in recent weeks, with a 1-0 win over Tottenham and a point against Liverpool, which have lifted Wolves out of the relegation zone.
McCarthy said: "I'd hate to put a value on Kevin. He is a very, very good Premier League player.
"He is playing for a team scrapping at the bottom, he has scored his six goals, he has caused everyone he has played against problems.
"He started off with a hernia when he came here so he got off to a slow start, missed games, then came back and wasn't fully fit.
"But since he has got fit, he has proved to be the player he was two or three years ago in the Premier League when he scored 12-14 goals."
When asked if Doyle could become a target for clubs this summer, McCarthy admitted: "Look, when someone plays well, that goes with the territory.
"I never lose any sleep about anything like that, because I can't do anything about it.
"It doesn't concern me at all. Doyley came here and is loving it and, if we stay up, we are a Premier League club and he would still be loving it.
"But if someone like a Manchester United come in and ask and offer, it is bloody hard work then isn't it?"
McCarthy is unsurprised Doyle has made such an effective switch from operating in a 4-4-2 formation to his current role as the sole forward player.
He said: "Kevin is relishing it. He has played the role before. He has a very good understanding of it. He loves it. He is up against two centre-halves, occupies them for most of the game.
"I think he has got better. I thought he was a top-drawer signing or I wouldn't have paid what I paid for him when I went out and did it."
Wolves striker Kevin Doyle believes that Ireland are capable of upsetting France in their upcoming World Cup play-off games.
The striker feels that, despite their underdog status, Ireland have an excellent chance of advancing to South Africa at the expense of Raymond Domenech's side, beaten finalists in Germany in 2006.
"We're feeling confident we can win although other people will feel we don't have much chance," Doyle told BBC Sport.
The 26-year-old was unfazed when his side were drawn against the 1998 world champions, and is confident of progressing after a strong campaign in the group stages.
"There's a reason why they are in the play-off draw because they haven't done well in their group," he said.
"We drew with Italy twice and we could have easily beaten them.
"They are the world champions and we can do the same against France.
"I've played against bigger teams all my life and got results against them. I don't fear them. I'm looking forward to it."
With the first leg to be played on Saturday at Croke Park, Doyle believes that a clean sheet will give Ireland an excellent chance, putting the onus on the oppositon in the return leg at Stade de France.
"That would be massive for us. Do that and go to Paris and score a goal there," added Doyle.
"That's what we're going to have to do to go through."
On the back of an unbeaten group campaign, Doyle believes that there is confidence within the squad to seize the chance to fulfil a personal ambition.
"Getting to the World Cup would be a dream," he added.
"I've just gone 26 and I don't know if I'll get another chance in four years. We have the chance to do it now."
Ireland striker Kevin Doyle admits the speed of Mick McCarthy’s advances convinced him to join Barclays Premier League newcomers Wolves.
Doyle completed his record-breaking £6.5million move from Reading late on Monday night after undergoing a medical.
The 25-year-old joins Wolves on a four-year contract believed to be worth £35,000-a-week after spending a week considering his options.
The much sought-after Ireland international was being chased by half-a-dozen top-flight clubs including Sunderland, Fulham, Bolton, Everton and Aston Villa. Tottenham and West Ham also joined the race late.
Wolves were the first club to open talks with Doyle and had already triggered the £6.5m release clause in his contract with Reading, who paid Cork City just £78,000 for his services in 2005.
Wolves made contact with the Royals immediately after their exit from the Championship play-offs at the hands of Burnley in May and quickly had a bid accepted.
Nothing happened for a month as the Wexford man returned home to recover from a calf strain sustained in the first leg of the play-off semi-final.
But after meeting with Wolves boss McCarthy and being shown around the club’s facilities last week, he needed just seven days to mull it over.
Everton and Aston Villa attempted to hijack the deal at the 11th hour on Monday night but Doyle’s mind was already made up — even though he could
have earned more elsewhere.
He becomes Wolves’ third signing after Nenad Milihas and Doyle’s former Reading team-mate, Marcus Hahnemann.
Unveiled yesterday morning, Doyle thanked Wolves for their expedience. ‘The fact that the day the season was over they put in a phone call and had a bid accepted, that interest straight away made me think “they’re keen”.
‘They came in and settled things with Reading so they were the first club I spoke to. I was expecting a long summer but Wolves were in straight away.
‘I spoke to the manager and chief executive over a week ago and came to the training ground to see everything. I’ve been making my mind up over the last couple of weeks and am just really pleased the decision has been made.
‘The facilities here are top class and it’s great to be going back to the Premier League again. I’m sad to be leaving Reading because I had some great years but I’m going with their blessing, which is nice. This is a fresh start.’
His exit signals the start of the break-up of Reading’s Irish contingent with winger Stephen Hunt next to move this summer, leaving Shane Long, Noel Hunt, Jay Tabb
and David Mooney at the Madejski Stadium while Doyle swaps one Irish camp for another.
He will settle in quickly with fellow internationals Andy Keogh and Kevin Foley already in the Wolves squad as well as former Under 21 forward Stephen Ward, while boss McCarthy played for and managed the national side.
Doyle will also link up again with American goalkeeper Hahnemann, who joined Wolves for free last month and who also influenced the striker’s thinking.
‘I’m leaving one set of Irish lads to join another as well as obviously knowing Marcus,’ he said. ‘It always makes it that little bit easier to settle in when there are a few faces you recognise.’
Doyle shot to prominence in Reading’s first season in the Premier League and hit the back of the net 13 times in 28 appearances — just the sort of firepower McCarthy will want to keep Wolves from avoiding the drop.
However, the FAI Player of the Year insists the top flight should hold no fears for the newly-promoted club after Reading’s amazing eighth place in 2006/07, when they narrowly missed out on Europe before relegation a season later.
He said: ‘We finished a point and a goal away from Europe when I went up with Reading. I don’t know why we did so well but we all went in there wide-eyed, excited and fresh to play and that got us through.
‘But it’s not a completely different world and you realise you can do well there. I wanted to get back there with Reading but we didn’t do it last season.
‘I’m delighted to be joining what is historically a massive club and one which will be trying to establish itself in the Premier League.’
