Nathan Fraser was delighted to have made his mark in the FA Cup as the Wolves Academy graduate scored his second senior goal in front of the South Bank to help his boyhood club into the fourth round.
Having spent 10 years progressing through the youth ranks, Fraser’s second-half finish – coming just two minutes after arriving onto the pitch as a substitute – helped to set Wolves up for a Black Country derby with local rivals West Bromwich Albion.
And after also scoring on his Carabao Cup debut in gold and black earlier in the season, he is hoping to make it third time lucky when he gets his first opportunity in the Premier League.
On an FA Cup debut to remember
“It was my first game in the FA Cup, so I was just happy to come on and it was good to help the team to get the win in the end.
“My girlfriend and my mum was here, and my girlfriend’s grandad was meant to be here but I forgot to get him a ticket, so he’s stuck at home. I thought that I better give him a mention, just to make up for it!”
On his second senior goal at Molineux
“I’m delighted, to be honest, but I’m just hoping that my luck carries on and I get put on in a Premier League game.
“I was just happy to come on because I didn’t think I was going to come on, but when you do, you’ve just got to try and do your best. Plus, it’s always good to get a goal, which is the main thing.”
On a first FA Cup goal
“It’s one of them ones where it all feels a bit surreal. It’s the FA Cup. It’s a big thing. Before the game, you’re always thinking that you want to score, but you’ve got to be realistic.
“I wasn’t really thinking about scoring, I was just thinking about doing my job. But at the end of the day, if I get a chance, I’ve got to be ready to take it, so it was nice to do that.”
On helping Wolves into the fourth round
“I was speaking to a couple of my friends before the game and they said, ‘Imagine if you send us through to the derby.’ I almost did!
“But being a Wolves player for so long, being from Wolverhampton, all your friends support Wolves, you really understand how big the game is, so to help us get through to that game, I know the fans will be really excited about it, so that’s good.
“Hopefully I can contribute in that game as well, but I’ve just got to see what happens, but I know it’s going to be a good game.”
