THIS WAS A 1-0 MASSACRE. EVEN AS Wolverhampton Wanderers’ spells of Premiership class made Hull City look every inch the Championship freshmen, however, Glenn Hoddle’s reborn team were grateful that they possess arguably the best defender outside the top flight. Kenny Miller, one Wolves player close to being lured away to the Premiership this summer, argues that Joleon Lescott can stay at Molineux and still play for England.

This victory established a club record of 21 league matches unbeaten, but the urgency of Wolves’ need to win promotion this season is underlined by Miller, their top scorer last term, allowing the last year of his contract to run down and Lescott, their player of the year, declining the club’s offer of a new deal.

Miller was in fine form as he twice raced through the puddles to come within a whisker of opening his season’s account in the first five minutes before brilliance from Seol Ki-Hyeon on the other flank, where he rounded one defender and nutmegged another, drew an own goal from Damien Delaney. A series of inviting openings were squandered, however, and Hull, initially punch-drunk, emerged from a football lesson to come close to a third successive draw when Michael Oakes tipped over Stuart Elliott’s 30-yard lash late on.

As Wolves attacked with numbers and great style, Lescott held Hull at bay on the counter. No wonder Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool are monitoring his progress, only 12 months after the defender, 23 tomorrow, returned from missing Wolves’ sole season in the Premiership after surgery on his knees. “He’s outstanding and it’s unbelievable the way he’s come back from injury,” Miller said. “I’m just glad he’s still here. The best defenders, like Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and John Terry, make it look easy because they read the game so well and Jo’s the same. He can go as far as he wants — he has all the attributes to be a full international.

“Of course he can fulfil his Premiership ambitions here. We’re a lot stronger than we were a year ago and, with the manager we have, I don’t think we’ll be far away.”

Hoddle’s rehabilitation as a top-class coach continues apace. Peter Taylor, the Hull manager, worked with his former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate when Hoddle was in charge of England. “I always think back to the Argentina game, when David Beckham was sent off (and England lost on penalties in the 1998 World Cup finals), and that was an outstanding performance,” Taylor said. “For me, that illustrated what he was building. When we lost to Sweden a year later, everybody seemed to be against him. But regarding football, coaching, managing, I guarantee to you that the players here will learn from him and love him. Being manager of Wolves is a very good job for him. He’ll win a lot of matches and he’ll get the club to where it should be.”