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The year is 2024 and Wolves have just won their second successive Champions League trophy

It's 3 June 2024 and Wolves, managed by Robbie Keane aka the 'Irish Guardiola', have just won their second successive Champions League trophy

The camera pans over to Robbie Keane, who is trying to hold back tears on the touchline.

It’s 3 June 2024 and after a tense encounter with RB Leipzig the ‘Irish Guardiola’ has just guided Wolves to a second successive Champions League trophy.

So who are the players that completed a famous double?

Keane was widely praised for his innovative training methods

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Keane was widely praised for his innovative training methods

Every team worth their salt need a solid goalkeeper to build the team around and this Wolves side are no different.

Ederson, who became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he left Man City for Wolves in 2021 for £200million and 5 Ethereum, has proved well worth the money.

The influential false one registered three assists during the group stages and cleared the crossbar with a goal kick in the semi-final win against Real Madrid.

Renato Sanches’ rebirth as a buccaneering right-back touched the hearts of everyone who watched him flounder in midfield during Swansea’s relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

His best moment in a Wolves shirt came when he shut down PSG’s attacking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele in the quarter-final.

Even at the age of 26 there are rumours that Wolves will retire his no.85 shirt when he finishes his career.

Who knew what was in store?

Reuters
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Who knew what was in store?

Wolves’ all-French centre-back partnership of Willy Boly and Eliaquim Mangala shouldn’t have worked.

But Mangala was rescued from Stoke in 2020 and, after reading Giorgio Chiellini’s autobiography ‘I think, therefore I defend’, found a new lease of life.

His almost telepathic relationship with Boly was put down to the fact that Keane made them both learn Gaelic in order to confuse attackers. Innovator.

Another weak human is crushed by Boly’s aerial prowess

© Alan Walter
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Another weak human is crushed by Boly’s aerial prowess

Kieran Tierney was an influential member of both Champions League victories, proving that his failure at Man United was only a temporary blip in his career.

Football fans thought as much after Jose Mourinho admitted he has a pathological hatred of British full-backs, which is why Luke Shaw also struggled at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old is well on track to becoming the first player to make 200 appearances for Scotland.

Tierney was forced to leave Celtic after two years of continuous snow in Scotland

Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow
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Tierney was forced to leave Celtic after two years of continuous snow in Scotland

At 32 plenty of people had written off James Rodriguez, but he proved to be Wolves’ linchpin, playing as a deep-lying playmaker.

His double Champions League win with Wolves come just two years after tearing his ACL on Colombia’s version of Dancing on Ice.

He reportedly plans to go back on the show and add to his Colombia’s Got Talent win.

Captain, leader and legend Ruben Neves is the player every young Wolves fans grows up wanting to be.

As well as being the best free-kick taker in the world he also captained Portugal to a World Cup win in 2022.

Inspiration.

Another free-kick finds the back of the net

PA:Press Association
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Another free-kick finds the back of the net

Academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White is the only member of Wolves’ squad not signed to Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency.

He recovered from missing a penalty in England’s 2020 European Championship campaign to solidify his place in Wolves’ starting XI.

But he’s the only player from England’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup victory to play in the 2024 Champions League after Phil Foden was lured by the riches of the Siberian Super League.

‘Call the gaffer and tell him I want a pay rise’

PA:Press Association
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‘Call the gaffer and tell him I want a pay rise’

First came MSN. Then came JSG.

Goncalo Guedes, Diogo Jota and Andre Silva lit up Europe with their all-conquering Portuguese firepower.

Keane’s tried and trusted method of using Silva to tire opposition defences before bringing 38-year-old Ronaldo off the bench to control the game worked a treat throughout.

European Golden Boot winner Silva finished with 13 goals in Europe, while Jota’s 15 assists got him his own slot on Mesut Ozil’s ‘How may I assist you’ talk show.

Legendary

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Legendary

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