Wolves' new hero Carl Ikeme today joined the acclaim for the player fighting to get out of the fans' bad books at Molineux.

The Wolves keeper, fresh from the stand-out performance of his Molineux career to date, confirmed last season's "villain" Roger Johnson is a reformed figure in the new Wolves being built by Stale Solbakken.

Ikeme is striving for recognition after spending years as the on-loan nomad in the club's impressive stable of goalkeepers.

And having now tasted serious Championship action with Johnson he said: "I think Roger has done brilliantly since he came back in pre-season.

"We always knew he was a good, strong player, and it didn't happen for him last season for one reason or another. But I've played against Roger before and I saw him play for Birmingham quite a few times and he's a strong, committed defender.

"I think now that the fans are backing him and he's playing well and showing what he can do, I think the supporters appreciate that.

"He's a good player – you don't lose it overnight and he's an important player for us and we'll need him this season."

Ikeme, who has seized his chance to take up the No.1 goalkeeping spot in Wayne Hennessey's absence, added: "He was always accepted here by the lads and he always will, because we're an honest club. It didn't go the way he wanted it to go last season, but you don't become a bad player overnight."