Mick McCarthy has claimed that he would have kept Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League if he had been allowed to remain as manager.

The Irishman was sacked in February with Wolves in the relegation zone.

However, the club have since slumped to the bottom of the table after McCarthy's assistant Terry Connor was handed the reins on an interim basis until the end of the season.

"I'm still involved emotionally at Wolves and it's been tough for Terry Connor coming in," McCarthy told BBC Sport. "I think we'd have stayed up with me in charge, we did have a bad run of results and you take it on the chin and it's onwards and upwards for me."

Wolves, who are six points from safety, travel to Stoke City in the league on Saturday.