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Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he remembers the thrilling dying seconds of his team's stunning fightback win against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. The encounter culminated with Galbraith picking up a fan's glasses after the pitch-side pile-on.

During the final moments of stoppage time, Galbraith rattled the woodwork with a speculative effort from distance, and Cameron Burgess quickly converted the deflection before racing off toward the crowd to mark the goal, with fans mobbing the players.

Remarkable Recovery

This completed an unbelievable recovery given the Welsh side had found themselves down 2-0 during the final 45 minutes. Amid the euphoria, there was some minor mishaps. Galbraith explained, "There was a fan sort of calling out and we were puzzled: 'What's he on about here?' Then we noticed the glasses. It was a bit of banter putting them on. We are on the pitch as footballers but we're humans, too, so to have a bit of craic with the fans is always good."

Pep Guardiola Test

That win earned a upcoming game at home against the Premier League champions on Wednesday, opponents Galbraith pushed hard at the equivalent round of the FA Cup with Leyton Orient in February. He had a prime vantage point when his former team took the lead in spectacular fashion, with Jamie Donley's volley from about long distance going in via the woodwork and the City goalkeeper. It feels criminal that it was credited as an own goal.

"You would have hoped they would've credited him for taking the effort on from that range," says Galbraith, who began the game centrally before shifting to right wing-back after the team changed tactics. That meant getting to grips with Jack Grealish, with whom he exchanged jerseys, and the player was among the opposition who paid tribute to the way the underdogs approached the match.

City's Quality

"Fitness-wise they are very good but even the fundamentals and routine actions, they can just do it over and over again," he explains. "It seems as if they never miss a pass and they know how to manage and slow down a game. You can think you're holding your own and then suddenly they will just fizz a pass between defenders without you even seeing. You have to be focused at all times of the game. It requires a strong mentality and focus just to remain competitive."

Swansea Move

The club sought to acquire Galbraith in January and secured his signature to bring him in in the summer in a significant move. He became a favorite as a popular figure across multiple campaigns at Leyton Orient and has quickly achieved similar status in south Wales. At Orient he reunited with Richie Wellens, who earlier gave Galbraith his first extended run in professional games on loan at a League One side from Old Trafford. Then came a temporary move at League Two Salford City, before he permanently left Old Trafford.

Learning Curve

"I was perhaps a somewhat inexperienced going into professional soccer. I think many athletes would say development squad matches is entirely separate. Sometimes it feels like possession is exchanged without serious challenge. There's not many tackles or duels. Once you start playing men's games you have to adapt rapidly."

Country Call-ups

He has shown that maturation for his team and nation, shining for the Green and White Army, who could still reach the global tournament next summer via the qualifying rounds and for whom he has been selected in the past five games, including both legs encounters against Germany. The ex-coach, Galbraith's previous international manager, paid him the highest praise, saying he was Northern Ireland's "little Iniesta or Xavi" given how he handles the football and his ability to spot a decisive through ball.

Starting Out

This represents a remarkable path for the player from the local area in the Belfast suburb, just outside the capital, who was raised observing his father, the elder Galbraith, also a central player, play for Ballyclare Comrades.

Old Trafford Memory

The player's single match for United came in Kazakhstan in 2019, a continental tournament trip to the Kazakh capital, where they competed on an synthetic surface and the venue ceiling was closed owing to conditions of freezing cold. "This represented a extended travel and it was chilly," he says, chuckling. "The days leading up, the academy prospects trained together, so that aided our adjustment. Just to accompany the senior squad and make an appearance at the end was amazing."

Moving On

How difficult was it to leave United, the club he transferred from aged his mid-teens? "It was quite easy, because I arrived at the moment where I knew I couldn't establish myself at first-team level. I'm very appreciative for the years at the club but it became apparent where I felt I had to take a different path, drop down the leagues and play professional soccer. Now I'm steadily working my way back up."

New Environment

It is the middle of the day at the team's practice facility but Galbraith has a commitment at late afternoon: a driving theory test, another move in the direction of getting on the road. Until recently to his new neighborhood, the young professional was a regular in Swansea's so-called player transport, a team vehicle driven by academy staff, the transport team, which ferries players to and from training and matches.

"It's myself Gonçalo Franco, the Brazilian, an Ivorian player – Melker Widell used to be in it but has got his license. It's pleasant to socialize with the lads but I'm hoping to be the following person out of the minibus and on the road. His teammate is known for his humor; he's constantly causing mischief."

Fan Interactions

When he represented his former club, Galbraith would travel alongside supporters on public transport after beginning his trip at his base. "I tried|I attempted|My aim