Liam Keen
Published10th Apr 2026, 08:30 BST
Rob Edwards hopes to ‘tap into’ Ladislav Krejci’s international success as Wolves prepare for a ‘huge’ clash at West Ham.
The defender captained his country and scored in both the play-off semi-final and final as Czechia booked their place at the World Cup this summer.
He now returns to Wolves looking to attack the final seven matches, starting at the London Stadium tonight, and the head coach wants to harness that positivity and urges his whole squad to fight for their futures.
”That's what I've got to try and tap into,” Edwards said.
“Part of all of our jobs is to give people the environment, the support or whatever they need to try and get the best out of them.
“At the moment now, whatever that is, every individual's got it.
“He's got a real reason now to continue to perform, but I think they all have.
”Whether it is the World Cup or whether it's to play well to stay or play well to get away - they all have that now.
“It's brilliant, he has come back with a real smile on his face, a spring in his step because he's gone and done amazing things for his country. That makes you feel good about yourself.
Ladislav Krejci (Photo by Brett Patzke - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images)placeholder image
Ladislav Krejci (Photo by Brett Patzke - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images) | Local Library
“I'm seeing a lot of that around the place in training as well now.
“The lads seem pretty confident, they feel like they're in a good spot, so hopefully we can see continued improvement.”
When asked about Krejci’s leadership credentials, Edwards added: “I think he's certainly someone that's going in that right direction.
“He's a really good professional. It's amazing for him to be leading his country and stepping up in the way that he did with big moments in big games.
“It's really impressive and I’m so pleased for him.
“He's progressing really well, his performances have been very good for us.
“He could lead his country for a long time, which is really exciting for him, and any of that that can rub off on us will be valuable.
“He's a vocal player. You can see the way that he plays and demands of his team-mates, whether that's in training on a daily basis or out on the pitch. There's leadership qualities there.”
Wolves travel to the capital with a fully fit squad, other than Sam Johnstone and Matt Doherty.
Back-up goalkeeper Johnstone has a shoulder issue that may have ended his season, while Doherty has a ‘niggle’ that he should recover from by next week.
If Wolves have any hope of an unlikely great escape then they need three points, while Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will see it as a must-win in their survival hopes.
“This is a huge game,” Edwards said.
“For both teams, it's a really big game. For us, we want to try and take things as far as we can, we want to keep improving, keep the momentum going.
“We feel we can win, we've shown that recently and that’s our mindset.
“West Ham will be feeling the same and anyone that plays against Wolves at the moment will be thinking that's a game they have to win.”
Andre, Joao Gomes and Yerson Mosquera are also on nine yellow cards this season and must avoid a booking tonight to escape a two-match ban.
Edwards said: “It's not a long conversation with them because they've got to be able to play as well.
”They know the situation, so they have to try and be sensible with it.”
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