Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he remembers the thrilling final moments of Swansea's epic comeback triumph against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. The game wrapped up with Galbraith temporarily wearing a fan's glasses amid the pitch-side pile-on.
With the clock ticking into the 97th minute, Galbraith rattled the woodwork with a powerful shot from 25 yards, and Cameron Burgess promptly slammed home the loose ball before sprinting toward the crowd to revel in the moment, with the crowd congregating around the players.
Stunning Reversal
This completed an unbelievable turnaround given the team had been behind 2-0 midway through the second half. In the celebrations, there was some unintended consequences. The midfielder recalled, "There was a fan trying to get our attention and myself and Keysy [Josh Key] were thinking: 'What's he on about here?' Then we spotted the glasses. It was a light-hearted moment putting them on. We are on the pitch as athletes but we're people, too, so to have a joke with the fans is always good."
Pep Guardiola Test
That win booked a fourth-round match at home against Manchester City on Wednesday, a club Galbraith ran close at the comparable phase of the FA Cup with Leyton Orient in February. He had an excellent perspective when Orient took the lead in spectacular fashion, with the attacker's volley from about long distance going in via the woodwork and the City goalkeeper. It seems unfair that it was credited as an own goal.
"You would have hoped they would've given it to him for taking the effort on from that distance," commented Galbraith, who started in midfield before moving to right defensive wing after the team changed shape. That meant facing off against the England international, with whom he swapped shirts, and the player was among the Manchester squad who complimented the way Orient played positively.
Opponent's Class
"Athletically they are very good but even the basics and basic skills, they can just do it over and over again," the midfielder notes. "It appears that they never miss a pass and they know how to dictate and neutralize a game. You can feel you're all right and then suddenly they will just deliver a through ball past your midfield without you even seeing. You have to be focused every second of the game. It takes a resilient mindset and focus just to remain competitive."
New Chapter
The Welsh side were keen on Galbraith in January and secured his signature to bring him in in the summer in a seven-figure transfer. He established himself as a crowd pleaser across a couple of years at his former club and has quickly done the same in Wales. At the London club he linked up again with the coach, who four years ago gave Galbraith his initial sustained opportunity in senior football on loan at his loan club from Manchester United. Then came a spell at fourth-tier the Manchester club, before he moved on from his boyhood club.
Development Path
"I was likely a somewhat inexperienced going into men's football. I think a lot of players would say under-23s football is very different. Sometimes it seems possession is exchanged without much intensity. There's not many tackles or duels. Once you start playing first-team football you have to adjust fast."
Country Call-ups
He has shown that maturation for club and country, excelling for the Green and White Army, who are fighting to qualify for the international competition next summer via the playoffs and for whom he has been selected in the recent fixtures, including both legs fixtures against a football powerhouse. His former international manager, Galbraith's former international manager, paid him the highest praise, saying he was Northern Ireland's "midfield general" given how he controls possession and his ability to spot a decisive through ball.
Early Days
This represents quite the ride for the player from the local area in the Belfast suburb, just outside Northern Ireland's main city, who grew up watching his dad, Stuart, also a midfielder, play for his father's team.
Old Trafford Memory
Galbraith's only game for the Red Devils came in the away trip in 2019, a continental tournament trip to the host city, where they featured on an artificial pitch and the arena covering was shut owing to the weather of -15C. "It was a long trip and it was freezing," he recalls, smiling. "The days leading up, several youth players and I worked out jointly, so that aided our adjustment. Just to accompany the senior squad and make an appearance at the end was incredible."
Leaving United
How hard was it to leave United, the club he joined from Linfield aged a teenager? "The decision proved fairly simple, because I arrived at the moment where I knew I wasn't going to make it at the senior squad. I'm hugely grateful for the experience gained but it became apparent where I felt I had to take a different path, join a smaller club and play first-team games. Now I'm steadily working my way back up."
Life in Swansea
It is mid-afternoon at the club's training ground but Galbraith has somewhere to be at late afternoon: a learner's exam, another progress toward getting on the road. Until recently to the local area, the young professional was a constant rider in Swansea's nicknamed team minibus, a small coach driven by academy staff, Pete and Howard, which shuttles players to and from training and matches.
"My companions include a teammate, Ronald, the midfielder – Melker Widell used to be in it but has begun using his own car. It's pleasant to spend time with the lads but I'm hoping to be the following person out of the minibus and on the road. His teammate enjoys practical jokes; he's always up to all sorts."
Supporter Connections
While playing for his former club, Galbraith would travel alongside supporters on public transport after commuting at Brentwood. "I tried|I attempted|My aim
