The £1.5m Plymouth Argyle clause that once handed Wolves a Championship superstar | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle could not stop Wolves signing Sylvan Ebanks-Blake for £1.5m in 2008, and Paul Sturrock's prediction about the deal proved accurate.

Plymouth Argyle knew they had found something special in 2006, when they brought Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to Home Park from Manchester United.

However, the rest of the Championship had realised this too.

Ebanks-Blake had struggled to break into Sir Alex Ferguson's side at Old Trafford, resulting in Ian Holloway handing the young striker an opportunity to begin establishing himself at senior level.

At the time, an initial fee of £200,000 was reported, with this rising above £300,000.

However, his contract with the Pilgrims contained a £1.5 million release clause, leaving Plymouth defenceless when Wolves triggered this in January 2008.

£1.5m clause left Plymouth powerless to stop Wolves

By the time Wolves came calling that January, the striker had developed considerably when compared to the youngster who made the move from Manchester United.

Ebanks-Blake scored 10 league goals in his first year at Home Park before he kicked on further again in 2007/08, sitting among the Championship's leading scorers when the January transfer window came around.

Wolves met the figure, meaning that they could speak to the player, while Argyle boss Paul Sturrock revealed that the club were prepared to offer Ebanks-Blake potentially the best contract ever given to a Plymouth player. However, his heart was set on Wolves.

The deal would be completed on January 11, and the rest was history, with Sturrock's simple assessment being: "I believe that Wolves have got a bargain."

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake became a Championship superstar at Molineux

Following his move, it did not take much time for Ebanks-Blake to settle, with the striker scoring seven times in his first eight matches.

At the end of the term, he would pick up the Golden Boot after netting 23 times, before he further developed into the league's standout forward in the 2008/09 term.

For years, Mick McCarthy had been developing one of the league's most exciting sides, with the likes of Michael Kightly, Matt Jarvis and Karl Henry all shining.

Ebanks-Blake though, was talismanic, with his 25 league goals during the 2008/09 season sealing Wolves a spot in the Premier League, while he picked up the Golden Boot and Championship Player of the Year award.

On April 18 2009, Wolves welcomed QPR to Molineux, with a win being enough to seal promotion.

That day, Ebanks-Blake scored the winner in a 1-0 triumph, sealing both his and his club's Premier League future, while he went down as one of the biggest bargains in Championship history.

Wolves' £1.5m transfer proved every bit the bargain Sturrock feared

Following promotion, Ebanks-Blake did not quite reproduce the extraordinary Championship numbers, with injuries impacting him in the top flight, while Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher inherited the goalscoring role.

But, the value Wolves received from the £1.5 million investment cannot be forgotten.

The Old Gold had been struggling badly for goals at the time of his arrival, and were even the joint-lowest scorers in the division, before they were a Premier League club just over a year later.

Plymouth simply had to watch on, with boss Sturrock believing the striker to be a bargain before he even kicked a ball at his new club.