Michael Gray has urged his three Wolves team-mates to ‘soak in’ the Wembley experience tonight – as a prelude to greater things.

With three full England caps, play-off finals and 500 League games under his belt, there’s not much Wolves’ oldest player hasn’t done.

At 34, Gray has been lucky enough to have sampled the national stadium twice – once for his old club Sunderland, and once for his country, for England against Sweden.

Tonight, Michael Kightly, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Richard Stearman hope for the chance to tread the hallowed turf when England under-21s play Portugal in a European Championships qualifier.

Gray believes the trio’s call-up is richly deserved and believes they are made for the big stages after playing their part in Wolves’ sizzling form.

“They thoroughly deserve their call-ups for the way they’ve been performing,” said Gray.

“I didn’t see Richard last season, but since he’s been at the club, his attitude in training and matchdays has been first class.

“We’ve had Sylvan since January last season and we all saw what he did then.

“He’s very hungry for success, he’s got an eye for goal and if you give him half a yard in the box, he knows how to finish.

“They’re good strengths to have. There’s a lack of English players in the Premier League with the foreign contingent, and there’s no reason why after taking this step, that they can’t take it one further.

“That will come in time – but they’ve just got to enjoy the moment, and fingers crossed, they can have a great under-21 career and hopefully take the next step.”

Gray reckons the down to earth environment created by Mick McCarthy and his staff have helped keep the players’ feet firmly on the ground.

“The best advice I was given as a youngster was ‘you take care of your football, and the rest will take care of itself’,” he recalled.

“You get thrown into the limelight, you’re a young lad and a lot of doors open for you, but it’s about making the right choices.

“But they’re with a group of lads here who are very level-headed. The gaffer in particular and the staff are very good at keeping their feet on the floor.”

Gray has mixed emotions from playing at Wembley after missing out in Sunderland’s agonising penalty shootout miss in 1997 after drawing 4-4 before starring for England.

But he has urged his colleagues to make the most of the experience, because it can pass players by.

“It was a tremendous experience getting to the play-off final, but not a pleasurable experience with the penalty situation,” he said. “But just to walk out and see your family in the crowd is an amazing feeling.

“I got to play there for my country as well against Sweden when I came on as a half-time substitute for Graeme Le Saux.

“Everything goes through your mind – nerves, excitement, adrenalin –but you’re so proud to play for your country, there’s no better feeling.

“It does pass very quickly so you’ve got to try to soak it in as much as you can.

“I was fortunate in that I got to do it more than once, but after the first time it gets a bit easier but you still get that great feeling inside you when you walk out onto the pitch knowing you’re playing for your country in front of your family.”