🔗 Share this article

Ethan Galbraith grins broadly as he remembers the nail-biting dying seconds of his team's stunning fightback triumph against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. The encounter ended with Galbraith temporarily wearing a fan's glasses following the pitch-side pile-on.

With the clock ticking into the 97th minute, Galbraith struck the post with a long-range effort from 25 yards, and his teammate immediately converted the loose ball before racing off toward the East Stand to mark the goal, with the crowd congregating around the players.

Extraordinary Turnaround

The result completed an extraordinary recovery given the team had found themselves down 2-0 midway through the second half. Amid the celebrations, there was some minor mishaps. The midfielder recalled, "There was a spectator trying to get our attention and we were puzzled: 'What's he on about here?' Then we noticed the glasses. It was a funny incident putting them on. We are on the pitch as players but we're people, too, so to have a joke with the fans is always good."

Manchester City Challenge

The victory earned a upcoming match at home against Pep Guardiola's side on Wednesday, a team Galbraith pushed hard at the comparable phase of the FA Cup with his former club in February. Galbraith had a prime vantage point when Orient took the lead in remarkable manner, with Jamie Donley's first-time shot from about 45 yards going in via the woodwork and the City goalkeeper. 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," commented Galbraith, who played in the middle before switching to right wing-back after the team changed shape. That meant facing off against Jack Grealish, with whom he exchanged jerseys, and the winger was among the opposition who paid tribute to the way the underdogs attacked the game.

Guardiola's System

"Athletically they are very good but even the simple things and basic skills, they can just execute repeatedly," Galbraith says. "It seems as if they never miss a pass and they are adept at control and slow down a game. You can feel you're doing well and then abruptly they will just deliver a through ball through a line without you even noticing. You have to be focused throughout of the game. It takes a strong mentality and focus just to keep pace."

New Chapter

The club sought to acquire Galbraith in January and beat off competition to sign him in the summer in a seven-figure transfer. He established himself as a popular figure across two seasons at his former club and has quickly achieved similar status in south Wales. At the London club he reunited with the coach, who four years ago gave Galbraith his first extended run in senior football on loan at Doncaster from Old Trafford. Then came a spell at fourth-tier Salford City, before he permanently left Old Trafford.

Learning Curve

"I was likely a bit naive going into senior level. I think a lot of players would say under-23s football is entirely separate. Sometimes it appears the ball is moved without real physicality. There are limited physical contests. Once you start playing first-team football you have to learn quickly."

National Team Success

He has shown that maturation for his team and nation, performing well for the Green and White Army, who are fighting to qualify for the global tournament next summer via the knockout phase and for whom he has started the past five games, including two matches encounters against the German national team. His former international manager, Galbraith's previous international manager, paid him the supreme accolade, saying he was Northern Ireland's "little Iniesta or Xavi" given how he controls possession and his ability to spot a decisive through ball.

Starting Out

It has been a remarkable path for the kid from the Queens Park estate in the Belfast suburb, just outside Northern Ireland's main city, who was raised observing his dad, the elder Galbraith, also a midfielder, play for a local club.

Manchester United Experience

His sole appearance for Manchester United came in the away trip in 2019, a Europa League trip to the Kazakh capital, where they featured on an plastic turf and the arena covering was sealed owing to the weather of -15C. "That proved to be a lengthy journey and it was chilly," he recalls, smiling. "The days leading up, myself and quite a few of the young lads trained together, so that helped us acclimatise. Just to accompany the senior squad and get a couple of minutes at the end was amazing."

Moving On

How hard was it to leave United, the club he joined from Linfield aged a teenager? "This turned out fairly simple, because I reached the point where I understood I wasn't going to make it at the top level. I'm very appreciative for the time I spent there but it became apparent where I thought I had to take a different path, drop down the leagues and play men's football. Now I'm slowly working my way back up."

New Environment

It is mid-afternoon at the team's practice facility but Galbraith has somewhere to be at late afternoon: a road rules assessment, another progress toward getting on the road. Prior to relocating to his new neighborhood, the 24-year-old was a frequent passenger in Swansea's so-called team minibus, a minibus driven by team personnel, the drivers, which ferries players to and from training and matches.

"It's myself a teammate, the Brazilian, an Ivorian player – a former passenger used to be in it but has begun using his own car. It's pleasant to spend time with the lads but I'm hoping to be the subsequent individual to stop using the bus and on the road. Franco enjoys practical jokes; he's always up to all sorts."

Public Engagement

During his time at Leyton Orient, Galbraith would travel alongside followers on public transport after starting his journey at the area he lived in. "I tried|I attempted|My aim