Wolverhampton Wanderers owner Sir Jack Hayward has hit back at critics suggesting he has lost interest in the club with a double assurance over the club's immediate future.

The veteran chairman has not only claimed that there will be money made available to manager Mick McCarthy in the January transfer window, but also repeated the club's stance that prize asset Matt Murray will be going nowhere.

But, while admitting that he is still on the look-out for new investors in the club prepared to stump up a cut-price #20 million, Sir Jack has been stung by suggestions that, after writing off the club's #40 million plus debt to him three years ago, the predominantly Bahamas-based Hayward family no longer care.

"The Haywards are still interested in this club," he said. "And I am still prepared to invest in it. It is still my baby.

"I think Mick McCarthy is doing a wonderful job and I am prepared to back him in the January transfer window. But I have always said that, if someone comes in with some money we would be prepared to sell.

"Originally we asked for #40 million but maybe now it is time to change that valuation. Maybe now we would sell if someone came in with #20 million that they were prepared to invest in the club. If they could promise that investment for team strengthening we would be prepared to listen.

"I can't stress enough that I don't want a penny."

As for the player who would earn them most pennies if they were to sell him, Murray has made it clear that, in only his second season as a first team regular at the age of 25, he is not interested in anything other than showing loyalty towards the club who have shown such patience with him in all his battles with injury.

"I'm just enjoying playing my football at Wolves," he said, after starring in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Birmingham City at St Andrew's. "They've always been brilliant with me, and stuck by me through all my injuries.

"Just staying in the Wolves team is the biggest thing for me.

"If anything did happen it would be up to the club, but I'm just concentrating on playing for a great club.

"I want to get into the Premiership with Wolves.

"We believe, with the squad of players we've got, and the manager we've got, we can get promoted.

"That's what my goal is. Moving away is the last thing on my mind. And, if we do it, this time I want to play instead of lying on a treatment table."

Of perhaps more relevance is whether Murray, who suffered the initial injury that restricted him to just one Premiership appearance for Wolves while on England Under-21 duty, is ready to go one step further.

He would have to emulate the achievement of Watford's Ben Foster last season by being picked as a non-Premiership player. But Wolves boss McCarthy was insistent that his display in earning Wolves a point at St Andrew's on Saturday in front of England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence will have done him no harm.

"Absolutely not," said McCarthy. "He's a fantastic keeper.

"I've waxed lyrical about him all season and his performances speak a lot more articulately about him than I can. This was not the first time this season that he's kept us in it.

"The Premiership is where the best players are, but Matt's as good as any of them. I wouldn't swap him for anyone.

"He's been sensible about coming back and he's got an able assistant in Carl Ikeme, who helps him along in training and keeps him on his toes.

"But he's a smashing big fellah, an absolute gent, who has his head screwed on. He deserves success, because of all the injuries he's had and he's reaping the rewards."

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