With Joao Gomes and Craig Dawson both scoring on their Premier League debut for Wolves it’s worth looking at which other Wolves players past and present scored on their first appearance for the team. They both certainly announced their arrival in style and are both on their way to winning hearts and minds of the Wolves faithful.
JOAO GOMES
This one will be etched on the memory as Joao Gomes came off the bench to make his debut in the Premier League at St Mary’s. Wolves were down to ten men against relegation rivals Southampton and looking to turn a 1-0 deficit around. Joao scored the winner in the 87th minute to win the game 2-1. The fans went wild and Joao looked quite emotional. What a start for his career in England!
Craig Dawson
Dawson was not new to the Premier League when he scored on his debut but had played for Watford, West Ham and West Brom making Wolves the fourth team he played for beginning with the letter W! Craig made his Premier League debut for Wolves against Liverpool at Molineux scoring in just the 12th minute and it was a cracker! How great was it to see a defender bang the ball in the back of the net? The game finished with a 3-0 victory to Wolves.
hWang hee-chan
Hwang has been a bit goal shy of late but he did score on his Wolves debut in the Premier League. Hee-Chan came off the bench to scramble the ball into the net in the 83rd minute against Watford in 2021. The final score was 2-0.
RAYAN AIT-NOURI
Rayan scored on his Premier League debut at Molineux against Crystal Palace in 2020. Podence crossed the ball into the box and Rayan picked it up on the edge of the area to fire into the bottom corner. Superb finish and superb start to his Wolves career. Final score was Wolves 2 Crystal Palace 0.
PEDRO NETO
Pedro made his debut in the 3rd Qualifying Round of UEFA Europa League against Pyunik in 2019. Pedro picked up a goal and an assist in this one with the game finishing 4-0 to Wolves and an aggregate score of 8-0.
RAUL JIMENEZ
Raul Jimenez scored on his Wolves Premier League debut against Everton in 2018. The match took place at Molineux with Ruben Neves scoring Wolves first of this game from a fantastic free kick. Ruben then went on to set Raul up to score his first goal on the 80th minute. The game was a tough one and the first match back in the Premier League, the match finished 2-2 against a 10 man Everton team.
ROBBIE KEANE
Robbie made his debut for Wolves in 1997 against Norwich City at Carrow Road. Aged just 17 Robbie Keane scored twice on his debut with the game finishing 2-0. These are both cracking goals and there was no doubt Robbie was destined for great things.
Benik afobe
Benik Afobe signed from Arsenal for £2m and made his debut at Molineux in 2015 against Blackpool 3 days later. Benik scored in stoppage time to make the final scoreline 2-0.
Andy gray
This debut goal takes us back to 1979 with a goal at Goodison Park. Andy became the most expensive player in British football history, joining Wolves from Villa for £1.5m. Gray scored four in his first three Wolves appearances and netted 15 in total that season, topping it off with a winner in the League Cup final against Nottingham Forest at Wembley.
Eddie Stuart
Eddie Stuart would become one of the most revered defenders in Wolves’ long history. But back in 1952 it was as a striker that Stuart made his Wolves debut – and he found the back of the net against fierce rivals Albion, albeit in a 4-1 defeat. He would make 321 more appearances in gold and black – and never scored again.
darren Roberts
In 1992 a Birmingham-born Villa fan is plucked from non-league obscurity and bags a hat-trick in his first Wolves start at St Andrew’s! This televised game finished 4-0. After the match Roberts exclaimed “I’m waiting for someone to tell me this is a dream. My league debut, a derby match, and a hat-trick against Blues…and I’m a Villa fan as well!”
Steve froggatt
Steve made his Molineux debut against Reading in 1994. Big bucks had been splashed by the late Graham Taylor that summer and one of his £1million men, Steve Froggatt, made an instant impact. In front of a buoyant 27,012 at the newly-rebuilt Molineux, Froggatt tapped into an empty net after Darren Ferguson’s shot had been saved.
Dean Sturridge
Dean Sturridge joined on loan from Leicester in 2001, he made his debut for Wolves at Selhurst Park scoring the only goal of the game against Wimbledon. He followed this up with a hat-trick on his home debut against Barnsley three days later.
Bright enobakhare
Just three minutes into his first ever appearance in professional football Enobakhare opened the scoring against Barnet in a second round EFL Cup tie. Final score was 2-1 to Wolves.
Jon dadi bodvarsson
Wolves were 2-0 down against Rotherham in 2016 in Walter Zenga’s first game in charge on the opening day of this season. George Saville pulled a goal back, but then Dominic Iorfa saw red for a foul on Jon Taylor. The odds seems stacked against Wolves but Bodvarsson rifled home a 65th minute equaliser. The Icelandic clap came out at full time. A cult hero was born.
Stephen fletcher
Stephen Fletcher made his debut at Molineux in the Premier League in 2010 against Stoke City. He scored in the 39th minute with Wolves winning 2-1, this was the first time Wolves had won on the opening day of the season in 11 years.
sam vokes
Sam Vokes scored just one minute into his debut at Home Park in 2008. He came off the bench on the 77th minute and scored on the 78th – talk about an impact sub! The game finished Plymouth Argyle 2 Wolves 2.
tempura ketsbaia
The capture of Georgian eccentric Ketsbaia for £900,000 from Newcastle was considered a coup in 2000. And he delivered just 17 minutes into his debut, smashing home a fierce free kick in a 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday at Molineux.
Sixteen minutes and 43 seconds earlier Kevin Pressman had entered the record books for the fastest red card in English football history for handling outside the box.
LEO BONATINI
Bonatini made his debut in the Championship against MIddlesboroughat Molineux in 2017. For the superstitious amongst you he scored in the 33rd minute wearing the shirt number 33! Middlesborough only had themselves to blame for this goal as Bonatini picked up a stray ball from a suicidal pass across the face of goal and slotted it past the keeper. Final score was Wolves 1 Middlesborough 0.
Nathan Blake
Nathan made his debut at Molineux after joining from Blackburn Rovers in 2001. I t took him 78 minutes to score against Stockport County in League Division 1with the final result a 2-2 draw.
PAUL BIRCH
Paul Birch scores on his Wolves debut in a 2-1 over West Ham at Molineux on 2nd February 1991. Paul sadly died 18 years later to the day. RIP.
Derek douGAN
In March 1967, Derek Dougan dropped into the Second Division after being signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Ronnie Allen for a £50,000 fee. He marked his home debut on 25 March by scoring a hat-trick against Hull City. He ended the 1966–67 season with nine goals in 11 games for Wolves, His total Wolves appearances: 323 and 123 goals.
WILLIE CARR
Willie Carr’s debut couldn’t have gone any better. Wolves played Chelsea and won 7-1 with Carr scoring the third goal taking a pot shot from around 18 yards. Willie Carr talks about remembering McGarry, Wolves manager giving them a good shouting at half time as although they were 3-1 up he wasn’t happy, Wolves went on to score another 4. Willie made 289 appearances for Wolves and scored 26 times.
This is just a selection of players that have scored for Wolves on their debut there are plenty more!
ARTICLE BY KARL WHITEHOUSE
I am a Wolves fan and have been for over 30 years.
I have supported them both home and away games in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s and now like looking into wolves games the stats behind the games they play in the premier league and also look other stats if asked by someone else in the podcast. I have also done the 92 football league grounds and shortly be doing a ebook about peoples favourite match they went to along with a match report and if possible stats from game.