Carl Ikeme is hoping for a rare start against Accrington Stanley tonight – to give him a painful reminder of the club who helped him grow up.

The Wolves keeper has cut an impressive figure in pre-season, after finally recovering from a string of injuries to share the goalkeeping duties with Wayne Hennessey.

If he plays tonight, the 22-year-old will be revisiting a small chunk of his past which he admits shaped his future.

For Accrington was where it all started for Ikeme, who spent a month on loan there between October and November of 2004.

Getting his first taste of senior action at Stanley, Ikeme made four appearances for the Lancashire side, keeping two clean sheets, but the memories weren’t all pleasant!

He said: “I had a spell on loan there when I was 18. They were in the Conference at the time. It was my first taste of senior football and it was a bit of a culture shock to be honest.

“My first game was away to Aldershot and it was a tough day!

“In the first minute, I was involved in a collision with their centre forward which left me a bit worse for wear for the rest of the game.

“I got hit in the private parts so you can imagine I was in a bit of pain and I’ve got painful memories of my first match!

“It was an old-style ground with the fans tight to the pitch, but it was a good experience.

“I was only there for a month so I didn’t really get a feel for the club. But it’s a good club and if selected it would be good to play against them.”

In the current days of pampered stars who have everything done for them, the spell in Lancashire taught Ikeme about a different side to the game, that has helped him appreciate the comparative luxury of life at Molineux.

He said: “Training was basically on the local park and I went there in the winter, so you can imagine that going further up north, it was colder than Wolverhampton.

“It didn’t go a day without raining, so it wasn’t great but it didn’t really bother me, because I’m not too big not to go to a club like that and learn.

“It’s a normal part of your development and the football is the main thing, to make sure I keep going in the right direction so I’m thankful for them for that.

“I only trained there twice a week but think they were full-time. You go there and you realise how lucky you are to be at a club like Wolves.

“I went there and came back thinking I’m going to do my best to make sure I don’t play Conference football.

“It’s a good level – you have to look at players such as Michael Kightly who have come from there.

“‘Kites’ was playing in that league two years ago but now he could play in the Premier League. So there are good players in that league.

Ikeme is looking forward to re-acquainting himself with some of his brief team-mates, as well as long-serving manager John Coleman, who took him to the Fraser Eagle Stadium.

He added: “I was only there for a month, so I wasn’t really there long enough to bond with the players, although I’ve noticed some of the names from their games are the same.

“I think there are at least four or five players still there from my time. It was quite a long time ago so things have changed quite a lot.”

Also in the Wolves camp, striker Chris Iwelumo has revealed how he and strike partner Sam Vokes are plotting their assualton Accrington – from the dinner table at their hotel.

The pair – set to be unleashed from the start for the first time in a competitive game tonight – are settled in the same accommodation.

Iwelumo said: “We’re in the same hotel at the moment so we eat together most nights. If he wants to ask me anything he can.

“Have I given him advice? You’re making me feel old! He knows he can talk to me about anything and we’re open with each other.

“He’s got a lot of talent and has definitely shown that so long may that continue.

“He got a bit aggressive with that goal celebration so we might have to have a word there! I was delighted for him.”

The former Stoke, Charlton and Colchester striker is keen to get that first win on the board after Saturday’s 2-2 opener at Plymouth.

He said: “For the team there were positives and negatives.

“We did enough to win and the goals we gave away weren’t the best, but we can focus on putting that right.

“It’s a learning thing but we don’t want to make too many mistakes before we get our first win on the board.

“We had to push in the second half because we were 2-1 down, but we’ve got good players so we knew the chances were going to come.

“‘Stacky’ pulled a few saves out that he probably shouldn’t have but that’s a positive we can take out.”

Probable teams.

Wolves (4-4-2): Ikeme; Foley, Stearman, Collins, Daniel Jones; Gray, Potter, D Edwards, Jarvis; Iwelumo, Vokes.

Accrington (4-4-2): Arthur; Cavanagh, Murdock, P Edwards, King; Miles, Craney, J Mullin, Grant; P Mullin, Clarke.