George Evans, a midfielder for Wrexham, says he would “love” the opportunity to play in the FA Cup against his old team, Manchester City.
Midfielder for Wrexham eyeing a City tie
Welsh team aims for an FA Cup run
Mansfield and Red Dragons play in the first round.
AHEAD OF TIME? The summer acquisition for the Welsh team progressed through the ranks of the Premier League winners before relocating to Reading in 2016. Early in September, the 28-year-old, who can also play defender, signed a two-year contract with the Red Dragons after stints at Millwall and Derby County. Evans would like the opportunity to play Pep Guardiola’s club, even though he and Wrexham must overcome that obstacle as well as the one in round two. Currently, they are preparing to play fellow League Two outfit Mansfield Town in the FA Cup.
WHAT THEY SAID: Evans, who attended City’s academy for more than ten years, stated to Leader Live, “It would be an absolute pleasure to play City; cup runs are something you can only dream of.”
“It would be extremely special to be here if there was a time to accomplish it. We’ve had a few great runs in the past when we played some strong teams but not really kicked on.
“At the age of 18, you’re a young man entering a critical stage of your career where you’re learning. You can learn so much if you can practise on the best fields with the top coaches and players in the world at the same time.
“You can only gain if you approach it with an open mind and the desire to work hard, pay attention, and put in extra effort. Looking back, I can say that it was a huge assistance to me at the time.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Wrexham is seeing growth. They are now third in the English fourth division after being promoted to League Two earlier this year, capping a 15-year tenure in the National League. They made a spectacular run to the FA Cup final 16 the previous season, defeating Coventry City, a team from the Championship, and forcing Sheffield United—now in the Premier League—to a replay. With City starting their competition in round three in January, the Welsh team will be hoping for another cup run this year.
Next what? Tonight at 7:45 p.m., Wrexham hosts Mansfield at Field Mill in an attempt to advance to the FA Cup’s second round.
