Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards has been given permission to speak to Wolves.

Parkin: “I’m surprised, because I think given where he was at Luton in terms of his stock, I think that was probably, with respect, as good as he could have hoped for, the Middlesbrough job. It’s a really big job.

“He’s turned the support around from being a little bit in the doldrums to feeling really positive.

“So I am surprised from that respect, because I think the opportunity to take Middlesbrough back into the Premier League would be amazing for him.

“But I just think on this occasion, it’s just the heart, isn’t it? It’s the fact that he was a player at Wolves, the fact he’s worked there, the location, the Premier League. It’s all those factors.

“So from the outside, we can all have an opinion, but what’s important is what works for someone and his family, ultimately.

“I think the Middlesbrough job, as great as it is, has just been topped for ingredients by this Wolves offer.

“It’s a gamble for him because the reality is the two teams could swap divisions, but it’s the Premier League and I think you just have to understand that.”