Marriott eyes Liverpool shock

Mansfield Town goalkeeper Alan Marriott is refusing to rule out his side pulling off one of the greatest shocks in FA Cup history when they welcome Liverpool in the third round on Sunday.

Last Updated: 06/01/13 at 15:56 Post Comment   

Alan Marriott: Set for first appearance in the third round

Alan Marriott: Set for first appearance in the third round

It will be the first time in Marriott's 16-year career that he has played at that stage of the competition.

And the 34-year-old, who over the Christmas period made his 500th professional appearance, believes it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he and his team can add their names to FA Cup folklore.

"Sunday will be a massive moment for me," he said. "I'm 34 now and coming towards the end of my career, but I have never played in the third round and it is something that I have always wanted to do.

"We just have to go out and enjoy the occasion - it fulfils a lot of dreams for a lot of people. But we also want to do our best.

"We can go out there and enjoy it, but there is no point in doing that if you don't have the belief that you can win, so we want to pull off a shock.

"Some people might think we are in dreamland thinking we can win, but we will be out there fighting like Trojans, so anything could happen."

Mansfield booked their place in the third round by beating fellow Blue Square Bet Premier side and local rivals Lincoln City in a replay.

Fantastic opponents

Although now dreaming of reaching round four, Marriott is realistic and knows that most of Liverpool's players are worth more on their own the entirety of Mansfield Football Club.

He added: "It is unbelievable when you think about the players you could come up against.

"Whether they put out Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard or some of the youngsters, they have got a fantastic squad.

"They have fantastic depth with under-21 internationals and anyone who plays will want to show they are good enough to play for Liverpool.

"In Daniel Sturridge, we could be coming up against someone who this week cost around £12m, which is more than all of us and the club put together is worth. You can't grasp the reality sometimes.

"I suppose when you look at it like that, you just want to have a good game and not embarrass ourselves in front of friends, family and the watching world on television."

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