WANDER into the club shop at the corner of Molineux and, almost on a loop, they will be running footage of the day Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Manchester United. Not from a bygone era but from only two years ago, when Kenny Miller was the hero and Wolves seemed on the verge of winning their battle to stay in the Barclays Premiership.
The announcement that Miller will join Celtic on a free transfer in May has underlined the Coca-Cola Championship club’s descent. The visit of United on Sunday for an FA Cup fourth-round tie, however, represents the kind of occasion that could inject impetus into Glenn Hoddle’s team.
It also offers Miller the chance to reprise his finest moment at Molineux, when he scored the winning goal against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, and so remind supporters of his desire to secure promotion for the club before leaving. Hoddle thinks that Wolves will see the best of Miller now that his future is decided.
Sunday will be the first time the Scotland forward, 26, has stepped out at Molineux since the confirmation of his move back to Scotland to be closer to his family. “It’s going to be an issue with the supporters but my heart’s been in it for four seasons here and there’ll be no better opportunity to remind them of my commitment than a game that’ll bring back memories of the great result we had against them a couple of years ago,” he said.
“Celtic are a massive club. It’s a massive opportunity for me. I’ve played in a Glasgow derby at Parkhead before, for the other side, so I know how incredible the atmosphere is. But I only want to start looking forward to games like that after getting another play-off winner’s medal.”
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The previous one he gained, after scoring in the 3-0 victory over Sheffield United at the Millennium Stadium three years ago, had its roots in another Sunday afternoon Cup tie against Premiership opposition. Wolves, lying in mid-table, beat Newcastle United 3-2 and proceeded to lose only three times in 28 matches, Miller scoring in seven successive games, to reach the play-offs on a high.
“If I could go off on another run like that from now, and we could have the same finish to a season,” he said, “then I think everyone would be happy with my final year at Wolves.”