Keith Andrews was once a Wolverhampton Wanderers player – only he wasn’t. If that makes sense.

West Bromwich Albion’s most recent arrival – signed just 20 minutes before the end of the recent transfer window – did play 48 times for the Molineux side some years ago, spending nearly 10 years at the club.

Yet the 31-year-old claims that the Republic of Ireland player of near enough a decade ago bears no resemblance to the midfielder who hopes to make his Albion debut this weekend.

And Andrews, should he make his first Baggies outing, couldn’t have picked a more appropriate stage – the Black Country derby back at his old stamping ground.

But seven years after his departure he admits that a lot has changed in his own career.

“There was Paul Ince, Colin Cameron and Alex Rae, who were good international players, at Molineux at the time, whereas I was 21 or 22,” said Andrews, looking back.

“I wouldn’t and didn’t take things well and wouldn’t react in the way the manager wanted me to. That’s what I was like back then as a young player.

“Whether my lifestyle was wrong, or it was the people I was knocking around with, I don’t know.

“But it was just so easy for me because I had been there for so long.

“It’s no secret that I was dying to get out of Wolves at that stage because I didn’t get the football I needed.