Eves wants rid of Wolves records

Firstly, he scored the winner the last time Wolves won at Old Trafford on 9 February 1980 – a feat no Molineux man has achieved since.

The other is he scored Wolves' last goal in Europe, against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Cup on October 1 the same year. The timing of the milestones are reminders of where Wolves were and how far they fell during the bleak years.

As a lifelong Wolves fan, Eves would love nothing more than to pass them on to the present generation.

He said: "As a Wolves supporter, I'm the answer to two quiz questions I would happily not be because that would mean Wolves are back where they should be.

"I don't want to be the last player to score a winner at Old Trafford and I certainly don't want to be the last Wolves player to score there – for someone to score there tonight would be a start, and if it could be the winner, well, that would be superb."

Eves, who will be part of the 'prawn sandwich brigade' tonight as a corporate guest, remembers the moment a 23-year-old silenced Old Trafford. It set the tone for a heady period which he will never forget.

Three days after helping Wolves become the only team to win at Old Trafford that season, Eves scored one of the goals in the League Cup semi-final second leg against Swindon that sent Wolves to Wembley.

Victory at Old Trafford set Wolves off on a trail of eight wins in nine that would culminate in winning the trophy against European champions Nottingham Forest and see the club finish sixth in the top-flight.

United played telling parts in Eves' Molineux career. His second senior game and second goal came against the Red Devils in 1977/78 – the latter a winner in front of the North Bank in a 2-1 victory – while his last home game as a Wolves player also came against United in February 1984.

But it's that memorable strike in 1980 which sticks in his mind.

He said: "I remember being about 25-30 yards out and there was an interchange of passes with John Richards with about 22 minutes gone. John rolled it back to me and I took one touch and hit it early from about 22 yards.

"It went as sweet as a nut – in fact it was more like a shot Kenny Hibbitt would hit – it was very unusual for me to hit one that well!

"Gary Bailey was in goal for United at the old Clock End and it went away to his right – the ball was in the net before he moved.

"It was surreal – it was as if Old Trafford went silent for a second before a small pocket of Wolves fans erupted. I think the picture in the Express & Star has been reversed because I hit it with my right foot after cutting in from the left and the picture has me hitting it with my left."

As a forerunner to tonight's game, Wolves came under the cosh for long periods after that but defended well and could have extended their lead with two breakaways from Hibbitt.

Eves recalled: "United had a real go but Kenny had a couple of chances on the break."

As for his part in the win, it was quickly back down to earth for Eves, who was earning around £250 a week and driving a black MG Midget soft top at the time.

He said: "I've never seen the goal again, because the game wasn't televised. And I certainly wasn't on a goal bonus!"

As one of the unsung heroes of Wolves' last successful top flight team, Eves sees similarities in the work ethic of John Barnwell's players and Mick McCarthy's squad.

He said: "Being a natural striker, I wanted to get forward and score goals. But I was happy playing wide left at the time because we had one of the best striking combinations in the country in Andy Gray and John.

"A big memory for me from that United game was tracking back to double up with Derek Parkin on Steve Coppell. It seemed all the play came down United's right and there was a lot of running involved, but I got on with it because I had the energy.

"Just like Mick's players seem to be, we played a fairly rigid 4-4-2 and we were organised. Under Richie Barker (assistant boss) we worked day-in, day-out honing our shape when we attacked and when we defended.

"When things came off on a Saturday, it might have looked off the cuff, but we would work at situations endlessly in training. We had a massive self-belief and a self-confidence about us and total respect for each other within the dressing room – you could rely on each other to do a job."

That belief saw Wolves beat eventual champions Liverpool at home, runners-up United away and European champions Forest twice as well as fourth-placed Arsenal on their travels – one of 10 away wins that season.

Eves said: "When we had our best side out, we could beat anyone on our day," said Eves. "Sadly, the players, management and supporters were let down by the people at the top as the club crumbled through a lack of investment shortly afterwards."

Thankfully, the 53-year-old players agent believes the current hierarchy have the club's best interests at heart and believes the club can once again flourish.

He said: "Mick McCarthy was a Manchester City player when I went there after I left Wolves. I was only there about for about six months because I was getting fit after rupturing my Achilles and then Sheffield United offered me a good contract before I was fully fit.

"But Mick was fantastic – he was very welcoming and I remember going for a cup of tea around his house a couple of times.

"He was an old-fashioned centre-half and down to earth but you could see his leadership qualities even then – a bit like the manager at the time, Billy McNeill.

"Steve Morgan has the best interests of the club at heart and I'm sure they will do things prudently. I've got a good feeling about the club now. We've got a great manager who knows what he's doing on the pitch.

"I can really see them staying up. They have to believe they are Premier League quality and compete with the big boys.

"That attitude will keep them up."