Legendary Wolves goalkeeper Mike Stowell discusses how he would fare if he was at the peak of his footballing career in the modern-day game.
Team most like to play against | Liverpool
Being a goalkeeper, you'd obviously like to play against the top teams, but they could embarrass you or actually rip you apart. I think a team like Liverpool, who are exciting going forward, with a great strike force, it could be a really open game on the counter-attack. They are a little bit different than back in my day when I was facing more conventional strikers back then, maybe a big one up top, or even two big ones up top, and conventional wingers. But now, you have wingers who are strikers as such because you play teams with three strikers/wingers. The likes of Salah and Diaz, they're really strikers so that would have been a really good challenge.
Team least like to play against | Manchester City
I wouldn't like to play against Man City, because I don't think you'd actually even have the ball at any given stage. You'd be just constantly counting how many times they pass the ball around you. They have Haaland who is a more conventional forward, but they never throws a ball in the box for him, they work the ball into it instead. They’re constantly work the ball and playing them, you'd be constantly moving your position. That's why I probably wouldn't like to play against Man City because you’d have a constant headache of concentrating.
Player most like to face | Jamie Vardy
I love Haaland and I think he's a great striker, but I would quite like to have come up against Jamie Vardy. I worked with Jamie at Leicester and he’s got the full range. He’s fast, he can shoot from distance, he can volley, he scores headers, he’s good one-on-one, he's clever, I think he’s a proper throwback to an old fashioned goalscorer, and with pace as well. He's one of those where you'd have to be careful in one-on-ones, because he's nippy, he looks for penalties, but he's got the full range and I'd quite like to come up against someone like that.
Manager most like to play for | Nigel Pearson
I’ve worked with a lot of good ones, but as a player, Nigel Pearson would have been absolutely ideal for me because he's fantastic with the staff, with the players and he creates a great environment to work in. I think he would have been the perfect manager for me and I’d have loved to work with Nige as a player rather than just as a coach, because he just gives you that freedom and that confidence. If it was a pure tactics then Brendan [Rodgers] is the best I’ve worked with, he never left a stone uncovered, he was a little bit intense and you couldn't switch off at all, but if I had to pick one overall as a manager, it would be Nige.
Competition most like to win | FA Cup
I’d have liked to have even got into the Premier League with Wolves, let alone win it! But I have got to say winning the FA Cup in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley, that was always a massive dream for me. It is still is a huge trophy, but I grew up when the FA Cup was a whole day event. I used to sit in front of the TV and watch it all as a kid, with all the build up and watch the whole game. I used to think that winning the FA Cup would have been absolutely amazing.
Stadium most like to play at | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Definitely the Spurs stadium. I obviously never got the chance to play there as it was built long after I finished playing, but I’ve been there as a coach and it’s a fantastic arena. It’s a great place to sit and watch football, so it would be great to play in the atmosphere there. It's a wonderful ground, and everything around it is brilliant. I’ve heard the new Everton stadium is meant to be amazing as well, but I’m so sad to see the end of Goodison, so I’d have to say Spurs.
Aspect most like to have | Playing out from defence
I do like the modern aspect now with the way that teams play out from the back, but it was never available to me as there was no one out there doing it. Back then as goalkeepers, you would walk to the edge of your box and either put it on the floor and kicked it, or you kicked it out your hands. You never played. Every now and again you'd roll it out to your full-back, and if it came back, you’d go long again. But now, the way everybody plays out, defenders can come into your box and get the kicks, I'd like to have been involved with that just to see how I’d have fared.
Aspect least like to have | Social media
I don't mind VAR and I’m a fan of it in principle – just not the people that are doing it, but when it’s used correctly, it’s a good tool to have. But I’m glad we didn’t have social media back when I was playing. I liked the interaction we had with the fans where you met them on a personal note, rather than via the media or via the internet. I know it sounds really old school but I enjoyed meeting up with fans in the pub and chatting with the fans the club forums. It was more of a personal thing that you don’t get these days.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2024/25 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
