Keith Andrews again finds himelf in opposition with Wolves at the Gtech Stadium tomorrow night, so Wolves Heroes turned to a Molineux boss of the late 1990s for an insight into his character and upbringing – and in particular into the work that has made the Dubliner’s first season as a head coach a highly promising one. The fact that the 45-year-old was thrown in last summer at the Premier League deep end makes his achievements as Thomas Frank’s successor all the more noteworthy.

Colin Lee isn’t the first coach to look back on a youngster in his charge and speak of the special virtues that marked him out as one to watch.

But the well-trained, talent-spotting eye that was essential in the Devonian’s own long career in the dug-out makes him well qualified to speak now of the qualities he observed more than a quarter of a century ago.

So was there any hint, we wondered, of particular promise in a teenager to whom Lee gave a debut in a 2-1 second-tier victory at Swindon in March, 2000?

“He was a mature youngster, a good listener who always wanted to learn and improve,” the 69-year-old told us. “And he was part of a very good bunch of young players – Lee Naylor, Joleon Lescott, Robbie Keane, Mark Clyde and Matt Murray to mention a few.

“It wasn’t easy for him to be competing for a midfield spot with the likes of Neil Emblen, Simon Osborn and Carl Robinson and he had a serious knee injury to contend with as well while Mark McGhee was still in charge.

“He was very determined, though, and dealt with setbacks, like not being in the team, with maturity. That made him quite easy to work with.”

Andrews’ first two appearances in Wolves senior side – at Swindon and then in a follow-up midweek home win over Crewe – were the briefest of cameos from the substitutes’ bench.

And his first goal in first-team football wasn’t far away. A pat on the back if you recall that that breakthrough came at Swansea on November 11, 2000. If you did, you must have remembered that he was on loan at third-tier Oxford at the time – and an immediate hero when he struck what proved to be the decider in a 2-1 win.

Lee had become the first managerial casualty of the fledgling Jez Moxey reign by the time Andrews was given his initial start in Wolves’ first team, his five appearances for Oxford having revealed another personality trait.

Unfailingly polite and amenable as he was off the pitch, he could be feisty on it, as shown by the two bookings he received on loan in an era in which cards were less routinely brandished.

“He had belief in his own ability and was a good talker,” Lee added. “I wasn’t surprised when he became captain at a few of his clubs.

“He became a very good holding midfielder, passed the ball well and possessed a really powerful shot, although I don’t recall him scoring goals at Wolves.”

Andrews also had temporary spells at Stoke and Walsall, both of which brought him double-figure appearance totals, before cutting his Molineux ties after around eight years and moving to Hull on a free transfer in the summer of 2005.

Our readers may enjoy a(nother) look at the Just Look At Him Now! – Wolves Heroes story we wrote on Keith earlier this season, since when we have also learned that he is a Godfather to one of Michael Branch’s offspring after being asked as well to serve as the former forward’s best man.

Lee’s career on the touchline didn’t again cross over with Andrews’s playing years but, committed, diligent developer that he was and is, he monitored the midfielder’s progress with interest.

“He has proved many doubters wrong so far this season,” he added. “It’s great to see him doing so well at the club where I started my coaching career.”