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The joy of the FA Cup: Osaze Urhoghide provides antidote to critics | Paul MacInnes

The FA Cup third round has not been short of critics. Whether it be from managers, pundits or fans, whether the topic is team selection, match replays or (ironically enough) the absence of VAR, the venerable competition has been getting it in the neck. An antidote to this gloomy sentiment, however, is a two-minute video interview with the Sheffield Wednesday defender Osaze Urhoghide.

Wednesday beat Brighton 1-0 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday with a performance that earned plaudits from the Seagulls’ manager, Graham Potter. Urhoghide was making his debut at right-back and helped to keep a clean sheet in the process. But his post-match remarks went beyond the satisfaction of a job well done. In fact they articulated something of why the FA Cup is a tradition that should be celebrated, and protected.

Sheffield Wednesday
(@swfc)

It’s fair to say, Osaze has enjoyed today! #swfc pic.twitter.com/5rkpq8E45I

January 4, 2020

“When I came out, I was looking around, I was like: ‘Wow, this is a proper match day,’” the 19-year-old Londoner said. “What a stage to make my debut. I’m so happy. The hard work I have put in, people don’t understand what I’ve been through. It’s just great, to get the win, clean sheet, it’s a dream come true.”

The hard work Urhoghide talks about is not just the yards on the training pitch. He began his career in Sunday league football, playing for CB Hounslow in the Combined Counties Premier Division. There he was spotted by scouts from AFC Wimbledon, who brought him into their youth setup before his efforts impressed enough for him to be offered a one year professional deal. When that came to an end last summer, however, Urhoghide was released. He was without a club until Wednesday offered him a trial, which he passed to sign a contract with the club’s under-23s.

Urhoghide’s story is different to that of Curtis Jones, but the Liverpool youngster has had his own challenges; to live up to the hype of being the next big thing, to make his way at his hometown club who also happen to be the world champions. Like Urhoghide, however, he seized his FA Cup opportunity, his 80th-minute winner against Everton worthy of deciding any Merseyside derby.

Jones described his experience as being “ahead of a dream”, adding “it’s massive for me and the rest of the young boys”, many of whom started alongside Jones in a scratch XI that bested their experienced opponents.

Then there were the words of Adam Idah, another teenager, who marked his third senior appearance for Norwich by scoring a hat-trick at Preston in a 4-2 win. His story was different again, moving to England from Ireland at the age of 16 to try and develop a career.

“When I came over to Norwich two years ago, I didn’t think this would happen,” Idah said. “Even to start the game was unbelievable but to get off the mark and then score another two goals was great for me. It’s a dream come true.”

So the FA Cup remains the place where dreams are made for young men who have no memory of Stanley Matthews or Ricky Villa or even Steven Gerrard (Jones was five years old when Liverpool beat West Ham at Wembley in 2006).

The same can be said for supporters like the 2,700 who travelled from Birkenhead to Hertfordshire and went doolally as Tranmere deservedly came back from 3-0 down to claim a draw against Watford. There may be fewer moments of magic than there used to be (or maybe nostalgia always makes things look better), but the Cup still refreshes parts that other competitions can’t reach.

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