Wolves v West Brom: Conor Coady and Sam Allardyce ready to renew rivalry in overdue derby

The fierce rivals will meet at Molineux for the first time in almost nine years with both sets of players desperate to give their fans the bragging rights.

Despite being Wolves’ longest-serving player, Coady has never played in a Black Country derby. And he says he has been looking forward to tomorrow’s game for years.

“We’ve been looking forward to it for years, we’ve just not had a chance to play in it,” the England international said. “It’s a game you want to play in when you join the club.

“The lads know the importance of the fixture and it’s a game we need to improve in. It’s just a shame we’ve got to do it in front of an empty stadium, that’s the worst thing about it, that’s the massive negative. But in terms of the stature of the game, we know all about it and can’t wait for it. You know when you sign for the club. Everybody, first and foremost, is a massive football fan in our team.

“We’ve all grown up supporting teams and watching derbies, and been involved in derbies as players, so we all know the significance of them when they come around and it’s no different with the Black Country derby.

“We’re all massively looking forward to it and now it’s here, it’s absolutely fantastic. But it’s just a bit of a downer that we can’t have the Wolves fans in Molineux to experience it as well.”

Allardyce enters the game knowing Albion desperately need to find a win that will help kick-start their season

Currently second-bottom in the table and six-points from safety, the head coach is yet to taste victory since replacing the sacked Slaven Bilic last month.

But he is adamant his players have what it takes to survive.

“What we are trying to do is not beyond this group of players,” he said. “If the lads come together, if they pull together collectively and individually they can do it.

“They worked so hard to get here. Now they have to fight even harder to stay here. Derbies are what you look forward to as a player.

“You get that instant feeling about how important it is to the fans.

“I want this weekend to end with West Brom fans saying ‘wow’ and ‘thank-you for getting us that win. That would give them a bit of joy on top of all the suffering that’s going on at the moment.

“That is our responsibility for me, to try and give them a little bit of joy and winning at Wolves would do that.

“It would also massively help our confidence and team spirit.

“When you start getting results, confidence grows, then the team starts playing better, you enjoy it more.

“And before you know it you have some momentum and you pull yourselves out of trouble and you are safe.”