Chris Day admits he cannot wait to take to the field at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, having waited some 20 years for his chance to shine.
Stevenage shot-stopper cannot wait to face Spurs
Chris Day admits he cannot wait to take to the field at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, having waited some 20 years for his chance to shine.
A lifelong Tottenham supporter, Day will get the opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream in midweek when he lines up for Stevenage in an FA Cup fifth round replay.
He came through the youth ranks at Tottenham and seemed destined for a bright future at the north London club when he was called up to the first-team squad at the age of 16.
However, Day did not make the grade and spent most of his time on the bench with his only full appearances coming in the Intertoto Cup - a competition in which Spurs fielded a team of youngsters.
Tottenham played their 'home' games in that competition at Brighton's old Goldstone Ground, meaning Day never got the chance to play at White Hart Lane for the senior side.
But after helping Stevenage to a goalless draw against the Premier League club at the Lamex Stadium, Day is finally poised to realise his dream.
"It will be my first competitive game there and it will be fantastic," said the 36-year-old shot-stopper.
Long wait
"The last time I played there will have been in some youth game of some description because we played our reserve games at St Albans.
"I remember being a schoolboy training at White Hart Lane and our coach used to send us on a lap of the pitch after training and he would say, 'one day you will play here'. Who would have thought that that day would come 21 years later?
"I am really looking forward to it. I have waited a long time to have a game like this. There is nothing better than playing under floodlights for a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup."
Day had little to do in the first game last month and expects to be much busier in the return meeting.
However, he thinks Stevenage have a chance of causing an upset and setting up a home tie against Bolton in the last eight.
"Obviously we will be massive underdogs there, but I suppose there is a chance," said Day.
"We will have to show the same spirit that we showed in the first game just to even have a chance."
