Don Goodman will never forget the day he fired Wolves into the FA Cup semi-finals – not least because the feat won him a set of new wheels!
The 52-year-old former striker scored the only goal in 1998 as Mark McGhee’s Championship side overcame the odds to beat a star-studded Leeds who would finish fifth in the Premier League.
Goodman is hoping Wolves can repeat his memorable feat on Saturday night when they face Manchester United at a sold-out Molineux at the same stage of the competition.
Fans still speak to him about that day at Elland Road more than any other.
The Leeds-born ex-forward knows any Wolves matchwinner will be guaranteed their place in club folklore, just like he was.
“It was a special goal. I enjoyed it and it’s fundamentally the thing that Wolves fans speak to me most about,” he added.
“There are three things they talk to me about – the Sheffield Wednesday penalty shootout, the diving header that David Kelly scored (from Goodman’s cross) against Leicester in the FA Cup and Leeds. But I would say the Leeds game is top of the list by some way. I will never forget it.
“It was unfortunate for the fans, because they were attacked afterwards and they often tell me about that, but I don’t think it didn’t douse their enjoyment of the occasion.”
Goodman had another pleasant surprise still to come, however.
“The next morning I woke up feeling 10 foot tall and there was a knock at the front door and it was a gentleman who owned the bike shop in Wolverhampton,” he said.
“I can’t remember his name but he brought me a brand new mountain bike to thank me for making the whole of Wolverhampton’s day.
“I still have that bike and every time I look at it, it reminds me of that day. It was fantastic, and I have some wonderful memories.”
The goal at Leeds takes special place in Goodman’s heart too, ranking alongside his most important, which helped Walsall beat Reading 3-2 after extra-time to win promotion to the Championship in the play-off final in 2001.
“I think it’s up there. The only one that would rival it in my career was the one I scored for Walsall at the Millennium Stadium,” he remembered.
“I have scored more spectacular goals but those two are the ones that really meant something to those great football clubs.”
Leeds and Goodman are again linked this Cup quarter-final weekend, when he hopes to catch at least part of the Wolves-United tie.
“I’m covering the Leeds v Sheffield United game that tea-time so I’ll be just leaving Leeds as the Wolves game kicks off,” he said.
“I might have to stop on the way home to see if I can take some of it in because it would be amazing for Wolves to get to Wembley.”