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Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he recalls the thrilling dying seconds of Swansea's remarkable turnaround victory against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup. The encounter wrapped up with Galbraith picking up a fan's glasses after the pitch-side pile-on.

With the clock ticking into the 97th minute, Galbraith rattled the woodwork with a long-range shot from outside the box, and the defender promptly converted the deflection before racing off toward the crowd to celebrate, with the crowd swarming the players.

Extraordinary Turnaround

The result sealed an unbelievable recovery given the team had trailed 2-0 midway through the final 45 minutes. In the delirium, there was some minor mishaps. He shared, "There was a spectator trying to get our attention and myself and Keysy [Josh Key] were puzzled: '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 individuals, too, so to have a bit of craic with the fans is always good."

Premier League Giants

The victory secured a upcoming match at home against Pep Guardiola's side on Wednesday, opponents Galbraith pushed hard at the comparable phase of the FA Cup with his former club in February. The athletic midfielder had a prime vantage point when Orient took the lead in spectacular fashion, with the attacker's first-time shot from about long distance going in via the crossbar and the Stefan Ortega. It feels criminal that it was recorded as an own goal.

"You would have wished they would've given it to him for attempting the shot from that distance," stated Galbraith, who played in the middle before shifting to right flank after they changed tactics. That meant competing with the England international, with whom he swapped shirts, and the attacker was among the opposition who praised the way the underdogs approached the match.

Guardiola's System

"Athletically they are exceptional but even the fundamentals and simple things, they can just perform consistently," he explains. "It appears that they always find their target and they are adept at control and take the sting out of a game. You can feel you're holding your own and then suddenly they will just deliver a through ball past your midfield without you even noticing. You have to be switched on at all times of the game. It demands a strong mentality and focus just to keep pace."

Swansea Move

The Welsh side were keen on Galbraith in January and secured his signature to secure him in the summer in a £1.5m deal. He established himself as a popular figure across multiple campaigns at Leyton Orient and has swiftly achieved similar status in Wales. At his previous team he reunited with his former manager, who previously gave Galbraith his first extended run in first-team action on loan at his loan club from Old Trafford. Then came a temporary move at League Two Salford City, before he departed Old Trafford.

Growth Journey

"I was probably a bit naive going into professional soccer. I think numerous professionals would say under-23s football is completely distinct. Sometimes it seems play is circulated without much intensity. There's not many tackles or duels. Once you start playing professional matches you have to adapt rapidly."

National Team Success

He has shown that development for club and country, shining for Northern Ireland, who are fighting to qualify for the global tournament next summer via the qualifying rounds and for whom he has featured in the past five games, including both legs games against Germany. His former international manager, Galbraith's previous international manager, gave him the supreme accolade, saying he was Northern Ireland's "little Iniesta or Xavi" given how he manipulates the ball and his knack for a game-changing assist.

Early Days

It has been an incredible journey for the youngster from the Queens Park estate in Glengormley, just outside the capital, who used to see his dad, the elder Galbraith, also a central player, play for Ballyclare Comrades.

Old Trafford Memory

His only game for the Red Devils came in Central Asia in 2019, a Europa League trip to the Kazakh capital, where they featured on an artificial pitch and the stadium roof was shut owing to temperatures of freezing cold. "That proved to be a extended travel and it was freezing," he comments, grinning. "The preceding week, the academy prospects practiced as a group, so that aided our adjustment. Just to travel with the first team and earn some playing time at the end was unbelievable."

Leaving United

How hard was it to depart Manchester United, the club he joined from Linfield aged a teenager? "The decision proved fairly simple, because I got to the stage where I realized I couldn't establish myself at the senior squad. I'm hugely grateful for the years at the club but it reached a stage where I believed I required a fresh start, move to a lower level and play first-team games. Now I'm slowly progressing again."

New Environment

This occurs during mid-afternoon at Swansea's Fairwood training base but Galbraith has an appointment at late afternoon: a road rules assessment, another move in the direction of getting on the road. Before his recent move to his new neighborhood, the young professional was a constant rider in Swansea's nicknamed player transport, a small coach driven by club employees, Pete and Howard, which shuttles players to and from practice and games.

"It's myself a teammate, the Brazilian, Malick Yalcouyé – the Swedish defender used to be in it but has got his license. It's pleasant to spend time with the lads but I'm aiming to be the subsequent individual to stop using the bus and behind the wheel. Franco enjoys practical jokes; he's always up to all sorts."

Public Engagement

While playing for Orient, Galbraith would travel alongside followers on London's Central line after starting his journey at his base. "I tried|I attempted|My aim