Wolves' Dave Edwards owes Mick McCarthy

Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards faces Ipswich Town tonight admitting his debt to opposing boss Mick McCarthy.

But Edwards has warned his old gaffer that he will face a very different Wolves to their last meeting.

The 28-year-old is just four appearances short of the 200 mark for the Molineux men and admits the milestone would not have been possible if it wasn't for McCarthy, who will take charge of his 100th Ipswich game.

The former Wolves manager signed the then 21-year-old Edwards in January 2008 for £675,000 from Luton Town.

And he has since been part of a rollercoaster ride that has seen him involved in two promotions, two relegations and play under five managers or head coaches.

Yet he remains eternally grateful to the management team who not only made it all possible, but helped take his game to another level.

"I've got so much to thank Mick McCarthy and 'TC' (assistant boss Terry Connor) for," said Edwards.

"They did so much for me – bringing me to a great club like this and I've made nearly 200 appearances for the team now.

"That's something I'm very proud of and it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for Mick McCarthy.

"Terry Connor is one of the best coaches I've ever worked with. He improved my game much.

"That age – 21, 22 – was the point in my career where I needed to improve technically and tactically, and he was the one who gave me that basis to learn every single day. I owe him a lot for that."

Wolves travel to Portman Road having lost just once in 13 and are on the back of a five-match unbeaten run.

It's a stark contrast to the last time McCarthy faced Wolves in December 2012, when he made his first return to Molineux since his sacking earlier that year.

The experiment of Stale Solbakken wasn't working and Wolves were already well down the road of the dizzying spiral that culminated in a second successive relegation.

Edwards played through it all and warned McCarthy that Jackett's Wolves are nothing like Solbakken's outfit that Ipswich brushed aside 2-0 that day.

"Definitely. I think the whole club was on a downward spiral then," said the Wales international.

"It was in the Christmas period and it felt like the manager was under a lot of pressure and the relationship wasn't great with the fans at the time. It's just a completely different team and a completely different club now.

"We're definitely better equipped this time around." But Edwards is in no doubt that McCarthy will have the Tractor Boys revved up to face them.

"Ipswich is always a tough game because everyone knows what Mick McCarthy's sides are like – especially against Wolves because I'm sure he'll have them fired up," he said.

"We'll have to manage that again and try to control the game and go there and get three points."

Tonight's game is one of two trips this week to rival promotion contenders, with Derby to follow on Saturday.

"This will be a measure for us now – two very tough away games," Edwards added.

"I think it might favour us a bit, especially going to Derby because we'll be underdogs there and that might suit us in a way

"We might be able to counter-attack them a bit more with the pace we've got."