Played For Both Wolves and West Brom – 15 Best Players
GouldThe Black Country derby between Wolves and West Brom is one of the oldest and most fiercely competed derbies in the history of English football.
Dating all the way back to 1883, the two clubs were battling for bragging rights with one another since before the Football League was formed when the Baggies won 4-2 against Wanderers in the Birmingham Senior Cup. In the 1950s the rivalry between the two sides reached its peak with both of them competing for major honours.
West Brom have had the upper hand in the total number of meetings between the two, winning 64 times in 160 clashes, compared to Wolves’ 53. Even with this fierce rivalry, there have been players who played for both Wolves and West Brom. In this article, we will be having a look at some of those players.
Some players who despite playing for both clubs, did not find a place on this list are; Keith Andrews, Tomasz Kuszczak, John Paskin, Tony Lange, Danny Hegan, Frank Nouble, and Nigel Quashie etc. Here are the 15 best players to have played for both Wolves and West Brom.
15. Jason Roberts
Wolves – 1997-98
West Brom – 2000-04
Roberts is remembered for the 27 goals he scored in 101 games for West Brom, although his opportunity to play in the Football League was given to him by their Black Country rivals.
In 1997, he was purchased for £250,000 from non-league Hayes by Wolves. However, he never actually played for Wolves and instead signed for Bristol Rovers after a few loan stints, until Albion paid £2 million for him in 2000.
14. David Burnside
West Brom – 1957-62
Wolves – 1966-68
David Burnside’s senior footballing career began at West Brom in 1957, having joined the Baggies’ youth team two years prior. He soon acquired nationwide fame for his incredible ball-juggling abilities. David Burnside’s career was quite successful at The Hawthorns, frequently finishing in the top half of the First Division standings, including fourth place in 1959–60. Burnside appeared in 135 games for West Bromwich.
After leaving the club, he played for Crystal Palace and Southampton before joining the Wolves in 1966. He helped them to promotion to Division One (as runners-up) at the end of the 1966–67 season, before leaving the club for Plymouth Argyle in March in 1968.
13. Bobby Gould
Wolves – 1970-71 & 1975-77
West Brom – 1971-72
Gould was a striker known for his pace, power, and ability to score goals. Gould’s time at these clubs may have been relatively short, but he was one of the best players to have played for both Wolves and West Brom.
He began his career at Coventry City, where he played from 1963 to 1968. He then joined Arsenal, where he played for two seasons before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1970. Gould scored 18 goals in 40 league appearances for the club before joining West Brom in the following season.
He scored 12 goals in his first season at the Hawthorns. In all, he scored 19 goals in 60 appearances for Albion, before leaving the club for Bristol City in 1972. He re-joined Wolves for £30,000 in December 1975 and helped them to win the Second Division title in 1976–77.
12. Craig Dawson
West Brom – 2010-19
Wolves – 2023-
Craig Dawson is a central defender known for his aerial ability, physical presence, and leadership qualities. He began his career at Radcliffe Borough, where he played from 2007 to 2009. He then joined Rochdale, where he played for two seasons before moving to West Bromwich Albion in 2010. Dawson made 225 appearances for West Brom, scoring 15 goals before leaving the club in 2019.
After West Brom, Dawson joined Watford followed by West Ham United. He recently signed for West Brom’s rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on a two-and-a-half-year deal in January 2023.
11. Bakary Sako
Wolves – 2012-2015
West Brom – 2018-2019
Bakary Sako began his English football career by joining Wolves from Saint-Étienne in 2012. During his time at Wolves, Sako became a fan favourite and a key player for the team. He scored 38 goals in 124 appearances for the club, including some spectacular free-kicks and long-range strikes.
In 2015, Sako left Wolves and joined Premier League team Crystal Palace. He played for the London club for two seasons, scoring six goals in 47 appearances, before joining West Bromwich Albion in 2018. At West Brom, Sako was reunited with his former Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo. However, he struggled to make an impact at the club and made only six appearances before being released at the end of the season.
10. Paul Bradshaw
Wolves – 1977-84
West Brom – 1985-86 & 1988-90
Paul Bradshaw was a goalkeeper who played in the Football League between 1974-1991. He is best remembered for his time with Wolves when he became their record signing in 1977 for £150,000.
Bradshaw made 243 appearances for them between 1977-1983, playing in their 1980 League Cup winning side. He was voted the club’s Player of the Year in both 1981 and 1982.
Bradshaw had two spells with West Brom, playing just 16 league games overall. He was mostly used as a backup player at West Brom. He is still one of the best players to have played for both Wolves and West Brom.