GILLINGHAM will look to Simon Osborn as their FA Cup talisman for Saturday's third round tie against Wolves at Molineux. Fourteen days short of his 30th birthday, the midfielder is a veteran of FA Cup campaigns who has known the thrill of reaching the quarter-finals with Crystal Palace and the disappointment of missing out on a semi-final with Saturday's opponents.

Osborn was part of a Palace side that beat Wolves 4-1 in a quarter-final replay at Molineux in the 1994-95 season. In 1998, he was in the Wolves side that reached the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win at Leeds only to miss out on the semi-finals through suspension.

He became former Wolves manager Mark McGhee's first signing in 1995 and later captained the club in a Wolves career that lasted from December 1995 to March 2001.

Osborn, who has been credited with being highly influential in Gillingham's revival since breaking into the side at Birmingham on October 23, has since kept his place for 15 consecutive games.

But he admits Saturday's Cup encounter will be extra special, back at a club where he made more than 150 appearances. He said: "Wolves are a club with a big FA Cup tradition so there will be a tremendous atmosphere inside Molineux. For me the tie cannot come quick enough and I know the rest of the players are looking forward to it because there is not a player in the country who doesn't thrive in a genuine FA Cup-tie atmosphere in front of a big crowd."

Osborn added: "People have been saying that my inclusion in the side has coincided with the team's improvement but I don't go along with that. I'm just part of a very good squad of players who are more than capable of bring Wolves back to Priestfield for a replay."

Player-manager Andy Hessenthaler is banking on Osborn's experience and knowledge of Molineux to help tip the four times winners out of the competition. "He's fired up because like any player he's looking forward to going back to a former club, especially in the FA Cup," said Hessenthaler.

With Robert Taylor returning to Wolves from his three-month loan at Gillingham, Hessenthaler recalls Iffy Onuora to the starting line-up to partner top scorer Marlon King and Paul Shaw up front. In another possible change, Mark Patterson could play on the left side of defence in place of David Perpetuini.

Wolves have undersoil heating and the club are confident the match will be played. Should a replay be necessary, it will be at Priestfield on Tuesday, January 15.