Crossing the divide: Craig Dawson has made a huge impact on both sides of the derby

But when it comes to those involved who have played on both sides of the divide, it is hard to gauge what the reaction will be, and that is certainly the case with Wolves defender Craig Dawson.

Albion emergence

The no-nonsense defender who was once tipped for England honours was arguably made at The Hawthorns. Plucked from League One Rochdale, Dawson went on to spend eight seasons at Albion with five of them being as as firm starting XI regular, four of them in the top flight, and he was someone who went on to become a fans favourite.

The fact that he will line up in the old gold and black on Sunday means he will no doubt be greeted by a smattering of boos from three sides of the ground – as is the way with modern football.

You could be a hero for the most part at one club, but if you return for any other club, not just a rival, you have to expect boos in this day and age.

But on the whole, Albion fans have fond memories of Dawson and he is still held in high regard by most of the fan base.

He was most known for his versatility during the Tony Pulis era at Albion. A centre-back by trade, but someone who was morphed into a right-back by Pulis, who for large parts adopted his ‘four centre-backs’ defence.

Dawson netted memorable goals against the likes of Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal, and was one of the players on the rise as Albion slid towards the Premier League trap door back in 2018.

And that led to what most would call the only blot on his Albion career – with the summer after relegation consisting of a transfer request and reports of Dawson training away from the club with his exit looking likely to happen.

But no move materialised and rather than sulk or try and force a move through, like we have seen from other want-away players in the past, Dawson knuckled down, and tried to help Albion returned to the big time.

And to his credit he almost did that. He played 45 games in all competitions as Albion were beaten in the play-off semi finals against rivals Villa.

In fact, Dawson netted the goal in front of a ferocious Hawthorns crowd in the second leg, to give Albion a chance of progressing.

It wasn’t to be and that summer Dawson did depart, in a £5.5m move to Watford, something he had arguably earned for eventually sticking around and helping with the promotion push.

Since then, he has again become established as a solid top-flight defender with Watford, West Ham and now, the old rivals, Wolves. That may annoy some, but it is a divide crossed by many, and some with bigger reputations than Dawson’s.

But that move has done little to tarnish how he is viewed by the majority of Albion fans.

The reaction from the Baggies supporters on Sunday will no doubt consist of a few boos when his name is read out, or when he touches the ball.

But those same fans will also hold a slight worry, a worry that Dawson has the ability to do what he did so well for them all those years ago.

Wolves resurgence

Now, in Wolves colours, Dawson has become an integral part of the club’s resurgence.

They initially wanted to sign him in the summer of 2022, before a deadline day deal collapsed. An awful start to the season saw Wolves languishing in the relegation zone and after Bruno Lage was sacked and Julen Lopetegui came in, the club returned for Dawson and signed him in a £3.3million deal in January.

A calming figure in defence with immense experience, Dawson was the key cog in Lopetegui’s conservative approach which focused on clean sheets and ultimately achieved survival in the Premier League.

Now, as part of the leadership group in the dressing room, Dawson is a constant in the starting XI and has brought stability to a team now looking up the table under Gary O’Neil.

What supporters may not know, in contrast to his on-field demeanour, is that Dawson is not a typical leader. He is not a loud character or big personality, but is a solid defender and impressive professional that has helped restore pride to the Wolves ranks.

On the field, he is a louder presence, and has helped players such as Max Kilman find their form once again.

Dawson has also had to adapt his game somewhat. He was never blessed with pace, but at 33-years-old he has had to adapt his positioning to stay at the elite level.

In O’Neil’s back five formation, which he adopted early on in the season and has found tremendous success, Dawson has slotted perfectly into the middle of the three centre-backs, with left-footed Kilman impressive next to him on the right side.

Dawson remains very capable of adapting his tactics depending on O’Neil’s game plan, too. If he has to step put of defence and be aggressive, he will.

A major highlight of his in a Wolves shirt was how he man-marked Erling Haaland in Wolves 2-1 win over Manchester City at Molineux this season.

Dawson was superb. He never gave Haaland a moment of rest, won every aerial ball and every tackle, reducing the striker to one poor shot all game.

Wolves have become a better team with Dawson in their ranks and in many respects, Dawson has also taken another step forward in his career.

He now returns to The Hawthorns as a player who has found a new lease of life at Wolves after crossing the divide, with his sights firmly set on beating his old club.