On this day: Matt Murray debuts for Wolves

You could see the potential Matt Murray had right from when he made his first-team debut in goal for Wolves 17 years ago today.

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The distance of time from then to now is only 12 months shy of how old the Solihull-born teenager was when he pulled on a first-team jersey.

His maiden appearance was a bright spot of Wolves' pre-season tour of Sweden in the summer of 1999 and how they needed it, writes Craig Birch.

The squad was becoming increasingly shorn of regulars and there was a already a sombre mood in the camp, after the retirement of Steve Bull.

The club's record goalscorer had called time on his career aged 34 on day two in Sweden, after a recurrence of the knee injury that forced his hand.

Back home, out-of-contract defender Dean Richards joined Southampton, under the Bosman ruling that had been in effect for just four years.

Later in the summer, star forward Robbie Keane was sold to Coventry City for £6m, which was a British transfer record-fee for a teenager at the time.

Wolves had won 3-2 at Olofstrom in their Swedish opener with trialists Ronnie Ekelund, Scott Taylor and Stephan Ban Riel all playing the first-half.

They were 3-0 up before regular first-choice Mike Stowell let two goals in after the break. Come the second game against Hassleholm, in came Murray.

In truth, it was probably always the plan to chuck Murray, 18, in with the games just 24 hours apart. Much like his close pal Keane, Wolves were excited about him.

Much was expected of the already-giant shot-stopper after he signed professional forms at 17, the five-year deal he penned the longest given to an academy scholar.

The Express & Star's reporter in Sweden noted he was as big as an eater as he was good at playing between the sticks, after polishing off second helpings of a Chinese dish at dinner.

Rumour also had it manager Colin Lee apparently sent him out to pick up a consignment of chocolate bars, under orders that one should go to each of his team-mates.

He was a growing lad who was coming into the Wolves reckoning, with this his first-team bow of any kind. Before half-time, he was picking the ball out of his net, though.

A brilliant 20-yard volley from Henrik Edifors left him with little chance after 15 minutes, but Carl Robinson had equalised before the interval to save face for the tourists.

Mark Jones put the visitors ahead on the hour, before Keane completed the turnaround to make it 3-1. Murray was beaten again, by Mikael Carls, before the final whistle.

The teenager had hardly stole the show but he got the full 90 minutes under his belt, which bode well for the future. The season passed before Wolves deemed him ready to be loaned out.

Then his injury problems began. Murray was posted to non-league Kingstonian and suffered his first cruciate injury, all of 20 minutes into his competitive first-team debut.

One of many roads back to recovery began and it would be 31 August 2002 before he made his full debut for Wolves, in for the injured Michael Oakes against Wimbledon.

He kept his place and embarked on the most productive spell of his career, culminating in Wolves' promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs at the end of that season.

They had raced into a 3-0 lead against Sheffield United by half-time at the Millenium Stadium with Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller all finding the net.

Murray had made a number of saves and ended any notions of a Blades comeback shortly after the break, saving Michael Brown's penalty to rapturous applause from fans.

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He would win five England Under-21 caps, with Wolves fans touting him as a future No 1 for the full side. But, come the next season, a back problem ruined most of his campaign.

He only ever played one game in the Premier League and was injured after the first two matches of the fixtures. He would only play seven times in the next three years, too.

A broken foot put him out for another year and it would be March 2006, when he was borrowed by Tranmere Rovers, that he would be fit enough to play first-team football again.

He was a sight for sore eyes when he started for Wolves for the first time in 16 months in the final game of 2005-06 at Norwich City, with supporters crossing their fingers he was back for good.

Murray retained his starting berth for a fine start to 2006-07, where he kept a clean sheet in five of the first seven games. Wolves would reach the play-offs, taking on West Brom.

Personal accolades would come his way in spades, as he was included in the Championship Team of the Year and named the PFA Fans and Wolves' Player of the Season.

It would turn out to be his last long-term contribution, though, with a real choker coming his way on the eve of the first leg against the Baggies. This time, he broke his shoulder.

His misfortune with injuries would only accelerate from here. He suffered another cruciate - after he'd fixed his shoulder - in pre-season training and missed the whole of 2007-08.

Inflammation in his knee only delayed his comeback further and he was loaned out again, to Hereford United, in November 2008. The two full starts he would complete would be his last.

He ruptured a patella tendon in the other knee - his right - in a game against Milton Keynes Dons and was sent back to Wolves. Another year passed before he could consider playing again.

He spent the 23 minutes of his last Wolves appearance, a November 2009 reserve game with Birmingham City, in sharp pain. He retired, after his contract ended, the following August.

He sombrely hung up his gloves at the age of just 29, at bang on the 100 game mark for the club. He now works as a match reporter and in-studio summariser for Sky Sports News.

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