Wolves players who went off the beaten track

Kevin Foley, Jamie O’Hara and Jermaine Pennant are all on big-spending Billericay’s books.

They trio are no means the only former Wolves men plying their trade in eclectic locations. In recent years a number have travelled to several weird and wonderful places, all in the name of kicking a football around a field and being paid to do so.

For example Japan, Ecuador and Wick (yes, Wick) are other places you could spot an ex-Molineux man in action.,

The Japan link comes from Jay Bothroyd, whose team go by the name of Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo. In fact Bothroyd has been in Japan for two years, previously scoring 35 goals in 56 games for Jubilo Iwata.

Travel 4,000 miles south from Japan and you’ll find Bothroyd’s former team-mate Andy Keogh.

Still aged only 31, Keogh joined Australian outfit Perth Glory in 2014 and has enjoyed a prolific goalscoring return, netting 34 in 67 appearances.

A number of players from the Mick McCarthy era have ended up in somewhat left-field places.

Wick – based in West Sussex and playing in the Southern Combination Premier Division – have none other than Marcus Bent in their squad at the grand old age of 39.

“He’s got great pedigree in the game,” chairman Rodney Lampton, a lifelong friend of Bent, said last month. “I’m hoping his addition will be the first of many great things to come at Wick.” We’re all sure it will, Rodney.

This comes fully five years after Bent’s most recent club, Mitra Kukar (Indonesia), released him, saying: “We think his contribution is less to the team, let alone the productivity of his goal as an attacker is also minimal.”

Nenad Milijas is still going. The Serb is back with Red Star Belgrade, the club Wolves signed him from in 2009, but until this summer he was in China with Nei Mongol Zhongyou (yep, those guys) after a spell with Hebei China Fortune.

Asia is a a popular haunt for footballers looking for an enlightening experience (also known as a big pay day).

Former goalkeeper Graham Stack is with Eastleigh now but recently played for the Kerala Blasters in India (where Wolves poached Duckens Nazon from).

Maurice Ross had a spell with Beijing Guoan among a host of odd clubs including Kocaelispor (Turkey) and Vidar (Norway).

The reasons aren’t always financial though. Beanpole striker Carl Cort’s motivations were a little transparent when he went for a jolly in Marbella (then in the Spanish third tier) in 2008. Coincidently Cort had been sent home from a Newcastle training camp in Marbella in 2001 for ‘breaking club rules’.

“I have not come here for fun and to enjoy life,” Cort insisted, fooling no-one.

Nigel Quashie somehow ended his career in Iceland with Bolungarvík. Tongo Doumbia plays for Dinamo Zagreb and Geoffrey Muganji Bia is with Kayserispor in Turkey and former 'next big thing' Eusebio Bancessi recently signed for Polish side Olimpia Grudziądz.

A number of players returned home to see out their careers in familiar surroundings. Marcus Hahnemann went back to Seattle Sounders, fellow American Jemal Johnson is still playing with Jacksonville Armada and Segundo Castillo last year signed Barcelona...in Ecuadorian Serie A.

The ultimate ex-Wolves journeyman, though, is without a doubt Rohan Ricketts, whose clubs after leaving Molineux reads like a contents page from The Thinking Hipster’s Travel Guide.

In full they are – deep breath – Barnsley, Toronto, Diosgyori VTK1, Dacia Chisinau, SV Wilhelmshaven, Shamrock Rovers, Exeter City, Dempo, Quevedo, PTT Rayong, Eastern Sports Club, Abahani Limited Dhaka and Leatherhead.