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Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he remembers the nail-biting closing stages of Swansea's remarkable turnaround victory against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. The game culminated with Galbraith temporarily wearing a spectator's eyewear following the pitch-side pile-on.

As the match entered added time, Galbraith rattled the woodwork with a long-range strike from distance, and Cameron Burgess promptly hammered in the rebound before racing off toward the crowd to revel in the moment, with the crowd congregating around the players.

Stunning Reversal

The victory capped an unbelievable comeback given the team had found themselves down 2-0 during the second half. During the euphoria, there was some minor mishaps. The midfielder recalled, "There was a fan sort of calling out and myself and Keysy [Josh Key] were wondering: '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 humans, too, so to have a laugh with the fans is always good."

Manchester City Challenge

That win booked a upcoming fixture at home against the Premier League champions on Wednesday, a team Galbraith came close against at the comparable phase of the FA Cup with the London side in February. He had arguably the best view when his former team took the lead in remarkable manner, with Jamie Donley's volley from about way out going in via the bar and the opposition keeper. Many argued that it was deemed an own goal.

"You would have expected they would've credited him for having a go from that range," stated Galbraith, who played in the middle before shifting to right flank after they changed formation. That meant getting to grips with the England international, with whom he exchanged jerseys, and the player was among the Manchester squad who paid tribute to the way the underdogs played positively.

Guardiola's System

"Physically they are outstanding but even the fundamentals and simple things, they can just do it over and over again," he explains. "It appears that they complete every delivery and they understand how to dictate and take the sting out of a game. You can think you're doing well and then suddenly they will just thread a ball between defenders without you even noticing. You have to be alert every second of the game. It takes a resilient mindset and concentration just to stay in the game."

Swansea Move

The Welsh side were keen on Galbraith in January and beat off competition to bring him in in the summer in a £1.5m deal. He established himself as a crowd pleaser across multiple campaigns at Leyton Orient and has swiftly achieved similar status in south Wales. At his previous team he joined forces once more with Richie Wellens, who earlier gave Galbraith his first extended run in senior football on loan at Doncaster from Manchester United. Then came a spell at fourth-tier Salford City, before he permanently left his boyhood club.

Learning Curve

"I was perhaps a slightly green going into professional soccer. I think a lot of players would say development squad matches is entirely separate. Sometimes it feels like the ball is moved without much intensity. You see few physical contests. Once you start playing professional matches you have to adapt rapidly."

International Recognition

He has shown that development for his team and nation, excelling for his national side, who are fighting to qualify for the international competition next summer via the playoffs and for whom he has started the recent fixtures, including two matches fixtures against Germany. The ex-coach, Galbraith's ex- international manager, paid him the supreme accolade, saying he was Northern Ireland's "creative maestro" given how he handles the football and his eye for a killer pass.

Early Days

This represents quite the ride for the kid from the Queens Park estate in Glengormley, just outside Belfast, who grew up watching his father, Stuart, also a midfielder, play for his father's team.

Old Trafford Memory

The player's sole appearance for the Red Devils came in the away trip in 2019, a Europa League trip to Astana, where they featured on an plastic turf and the stadium roof was shut owing to conditions of freezing cold. "That proved to be a extended travel and it was cold out there," he comments, smiling. "The week before, myself and quite a few of the young lads practiced as a group, so that assisted our preparation. Just to accompany the senior squad and make an appearance at the end was incredible."

Leaving United

How difficult was it to depart Manchester United, the club he transferred from aged 16? "This turned out fairly simple, because I arrived at the moment where I understood I wasn't going to make it at the senior squad. I'm extremely thankful for the experience gained but it became apparent where I thought 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

This occurs during the early part of the afternoon at the club's training ground but Galbraith has an appointment at late afternoon: a driving theory test, another progress toward getting on the road. Prior to relocating to Sketty, the mid-twenties player was a frequent passenger in Swansea's nicknamed player transport, a minibus driven by academy staff, the transport team, which shuttles players to and from training and matches.

"I travel with the Portuguese player, the Brazilian, an Ivorian player – Melker Widell used to be in it but has got his license. It's nice to interact with the teammates but I'm planning to be the subsequent individual out of the minibus and driving. Franco likes to pull a few pranks; he's frequently playing tricks."

Supporter Connections

While playing for Leyton Orient, Galbraith would mix with followers on public transport after starting his journey at the area he lived in. "I tried|I attempted|My aim