Matt Murray is delighted to have won the first mental battle of his latest recovery from injury.

The popular keeper came through his first senior football for some 19 months with flying colours at the weekend, producing an impressive performance on his first game on loan with Hereford as the Bulls dispatched Cheltenham 3-0.

Even with all the experience under his belt Matt admits it was something of an ordeal to get back out there after his cruciate knee ligament injury.

"The mental battle is huge and that's why Saturday's game for Hereford was so big," he says.

"That was harder than making my debut because it was the third time I've come back from a long lay-off.

"You think 'will my knee hold out? How will I do? And, if I don't do it at Hereford in League One, then what's going to happen?'

"It was about getting through the game - everything else was a bonus because it's been so long since I've played.

"Even if Cristiano Ronaldo hadn't played for 18 months, I'm sure he'd feel the same so I still feel I've got a lot to prove.

"That's why Saturday was a big psychological thing for me and I need to push on.

"It's all about getting rid of the fears applying concentration and believing you can come and take your crosses and be hard to beat.

"I spoke to my psychologist last Friday before Saturday's game because I do have those fears and apprehensions - things come into your mind and you need the words to keep them out and stay positive.

"They say 'face the fear and get out there' because I want to be a footballer - that's what I've worked hard to do so.

"I was in a happy place last Saturday but that's the thing about football - you can be high one moment and low the next and I've got to try to stay level-headed."

It is perhaps understandable that Matt is still working one day at a time and one game at a time.

Assignments with Northampton, MK Dons and Colchester lie in wait, before Matt is due to return to Molineux in time for the home game with Derby on December 9.

Clearly he doesn't expect to go straight into the Wolves first team when he does, and if he does return after a month at Edgar Street will be focused purely on the battle for the shirt with Carl Ikeme and Wayne Hennessey.

"I'm at Hereford until December 6 when my loan spell is up and after that, who knows?" said Murray.

"If I do get my chance, I've made sure I've trained well, done what I've done at Hereford and in reserve games so that I'm 'on-blob' and can take it.

"It's going to be very hard to get in through Wayne or Carl losing form. You never know - it could be an injury, suspension illness, who knows? I just need to be ready to take it when I can.

"I wouldn't want to get in the team like that, I just want to come back from Hereford knowing if I'm called upon, I'm ready."

Matt is spending part of the week training with Wolves and the build-up to the games at Hereford in a deal which suits both parties.

And that has also given him the chance to view the battle for the goalkeeping spot currently going on between Carl and Wayne.

"No one's been sulking - everyone's worked hard," he reports.

"When I've played, Wayne and Carl supported me and when Wayne was playing, we supported him, and now Carl's playing, we've all got to support him.

"Wayne's done that. When anyone's left out, you're disappointed and that's only right.

"But he just has to keep doing what he's doing, which is train hard and keep supporting Carl.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to play but I'm genuinely pleased for Carl - when Carl does well, Wolves do well, so I'm pleased for him, he's a good guy.

"The same goes for Wayne - we're all pleased for each other and we all support each other, but we all want to be playing.

"We know what to do - when Bobby Mimms and Michael Oakes were here, we did the same and now Pat (Mountain) instills that in us."

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