Evergreen defender Jody Craddock has achieved plenty in his long career.

Two top-seven finishes with Sunderland, a Wembley play-off final, promotions with the Black Cats and Wolves, Player of the Year at all his clubs and almost 600 games is a record to be proud of.

But in 18 years as a professional, the centre-half has never enjoyed a good run in the FA Cup. The furthest he has been with Wolves was the fifth round when Mick McCarthy’s side were beaten 2-0 at Cardiff in 2006-07.

It’s the fourth round of the competition which has proved something of a graveyard for Wolves in Craddock’s time.

The club have gone out at that stage to Middlesbrough, Albion, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham since he’s been at Molineux, before last season’s replay exit at Championship Crystal Palace.

At Sunderland, Craddock’s record was just as unremarkable.

One-nil fifth-round defeats to West Ham and Watford along with four successive reversals by the same score – three of them in the fourth round, and two of them at Tranmere – started a sorry tale of woe.

“I’ve never had a good run in the FA Cup,” said the popular stopper. “I’ve managed to get through one or two rounds, but it’s always difficult in the FA Cup.

“It doesn’t matter who you play, they always seem to be difficult ties.

“I remember us playing Kidderminster in my first season here and we needed a replay to get past them.

“In all my time, I can only remember one relatively easy cup-tie, which was when I went back to Cambridge with Sunderland and we won 7-0. But that was in the League Cup. Every other cup game I’ve played in 18 years has been an absolute grind, regardless of the team or league they’ve come from.”

Not surprisingly then, Craddock will be taking nothing for granted against Staffordshire rivals Stoke tomorrow afternoon.

“I’m not expecting anything different again,” he said.

“It will be a really tough game, but it would be just the same even if it was a lower division team.”

Working towards full fitness and doing the odd painting – budding artist Craddock finished a portrait of Sir Jack Hayward for Steve Morgan at 10 days’ notice – has been uppermost in the defender’s mind as he battles the pain caused by scar tissue in his upper thigh.

An injection on December 12 to detach the muscle from the tissue at least gave him full movement again.

He still suffers discomfort, something he admits he will have to live with for the rest of his career. But after coming through an hour in a friendly with Leicester, plus 90 minutes against Doncaster in the FA Cup and again for the reserves against Albion this week, he is almost up to full sharpness.

“It’s still a bit sore but it’s OK and I can play with it,” he said.

“I felt OK against Doncaster, which was over a week ago, and the Albion game was a good test.”

In fact, Craddock believes Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat – when he scored an own goal as he dived to head the ball away – was something of a blessing, against two Albion strikers with points to prove in Roman Bednar and Marc-Antoine Fortune.

“It was a tough game played in tough conditions – it was tiring so I was pleased to come through it,” he said.

“They had a good, strong team who were better than us. Although it wasn’t a good result, or my best performance, I was up against Bednar and Fortune who gave me a good workout, which is what I needed.”

And at 35, Craddock revealed his own goal sparked a rare battle with his confidence. “I felt good at the start of the game but that’s how I need to play for the whole match,” he said.

“I scored the own goal, which didn’t help, so for 10 minutes I was fighting to get my own confidence back up.”

But he is looking forward to tackling Stoke tomorrow – quite literally.

“I’m ready to do the job,” he added. “Hopefully this will be a good opportunity for the gaffer to rest Richard Stearman or Christophe Berra and give me a go.

“If selected I’ll give everything I’ve got.

“We’ve got a lot of games coming up with Bolton and Man United next week, so the gaffer’s going to want as many players fresh as possible for those.”

As for Stoke, who Craddock served briefly on loan in autumn 2007, he is relishing the chance to play in the sort of physical encounter he really enjoys.

John Carew, on loan from Villa, is expected to make his first start up front for the Potters alongside Ricardo Fuller.

And Kenwyne Jones, another physical presence, is expected to be on the bench.

“We know how they play and that’s my kind of game anyway – they’re the ones I really look forward to because I can get stuck into the game,” he said.

“I relish these matches when I can win my headers and tackles and get stuck in.

“I like the tough challenges because that’s what my game is about.

“I don’t really get on the ball because I’m not the type of player – I’m an old fashioned centre-half.”

And one who’s ready for an old fashioned Cup run.

By Tim Nash