‘I love Leeds... and to score against them’
MANY times Don Goodman imagined scoring the winner in a big cup tie at Elland Road.
Except in his boyhood dreams he wore the white of Leeds United – and that wasn’t quite how it turned out...
“Howard Wilkinson tried to sign me twice [for Leeds] when I was at West Brom and Sunderland,” remembered Goodman, “and I would have walked to Leeds and played for them for free.
“But it was different in those days.
“These days agents would get involved and find a way to get you out of a contract, but back then you were just told: ‘We had an offer for you, we turned it down and you’re staying.’
“If it had been down to me I would have been off like a shot, but I had to get on with the job of doing my best for the club I was playing for.
“I suppose it was something of a disappointment that I didn’t play for Leeds, but I did enjoy playing against them. I think I scored every time I played against them.”
Most famously in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1998.
George Graham was steering Leeds towards a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League, while Wolves, under Mark McGhee, were trying to find a way out of the
Championship. After 82 minutes it was goalless – and then Goodman got half a chance.
“I made a run in behind the defender and Carl Robinson spotted it,” he said. “My first touch wasn’t perfect.
The ball got away from me and that drew (Leeds goalkeeper) Nigel
Martyn off his line. He thought he could get to it, but I got there first and instinct took over. I lifted it over him.”
And ran away to celebrate with the Wolves fans who were gathered behind Martyn’s goal.
“I have scored goals against former clubs and clubs I love and every time I have celebrated,” said Goodman, now a pundit with Sky Sports.
“I never did think you should look sad or apologise for scoring against a former club. I loved, and still love, Leeds – but I still loved scoring against them.”
More than two decades on, Goodman is still celebrating that goal at Elland Road, that proved to be the winner after Wolves keeper Hans Segers kept out Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink’s spot kick.
“I still live in the [Wolverhampton] area,” he said,“and a lot of Wolves fans like to talk about that goal.”
But the FA Cup fairytale for Wolves ended with a 1-0 semifinal defeat to Arsenal.