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Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he reminisces about the dramatic final moments of his team's stunning fightback win against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup. That match wrapped up with Galbraith temporarily wearing a fan's glasses after the post-goal scrum.

With the clock ticking into the 97th minute, Galbraith struck the post with a powerful effort from outside the box, and Cameron Burgess promptly converted the deflection before racing off toward the crowd to celebrate, with supporters swarming the players.

Remarkable Recovery

This completed an incredible recovery given the team had been behind 2-0 midway through the final 45 minutes. In the euphoria, there was some collateral damage. He shared, "There was a fan shouting 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 players but we're people, too, so to have a laugh with the fans is always good."

Pep Guardiola Test

The victory secured a next round fixture at home against the Premier League champions on Wednesday, opponents Galbraith ran close at the comparable phase of the FA Cup with his former club in February. Galbraith had arguably the best view when Orient took the lead in spectacular fashion, with the attacker's volley from about way out going in via the woodwork and the Stefan Ortega. It feels criminal that it was credited as an own goal.

"You would have wished they would've credited him for attempting the shot from that far out," stated Galbraith, who played in the middle before shifting to right wing-back after they changed shape. That meant competing with Jack Grealish, with whom he swapped shirts, and the player was among the opposition who paid tribute to the way Orient played positively.

City's Quality

"Physically they are outstanding but even the fundamentals and simple things, they can just perform consistently," he explains. "It seems as if they never miss a pass and they know how to manage and take the sting out of a game. You can believe you're doing well and then suddenly they will just deliver a through ball through a line without you even noticing. You have to be switched on throughout of the game. It demands a resilient mindset and attention just to stay in the game."

New Chapter

The Welsh side pushed to sign Galbraith in January and beat off competition to sign him in the summer in a significant move. He made a name as a fans' favourite across a couple of years at Orient and has swiftly achieved similar status in Wales. At Orient he linked up again with his former manager, who four years ago gave Galbraith his first extended run in professional games on loan at Doncaster from Old Trafford. Then came a temporary move at League Two Salford, before he moved on from Old Trafford.

Development Path

"I was probably a bit naive going into men's football. I think a lot of players would say development squad matches is very different. Sometimes it appears possession is exchanged without real physicality. You see few physical contests. Once you start playing professional matches you have to adjust fast."

National Team Success

His progress reflects that development for his team and nation, excelling for the Green and White Army, who are fighting to qualify for the international competition next summer via the qualifying rounds and for whom he has been selected in the past five games, including home and away fixtures against Germany. The ex-coach, Galbraith's previous international manager, offered the highest praise, saying he was Northern Ireland's "little Iniesta or Xavi" given how he controls possession and his ability to spot a decisive through ball.

Early Days

It has been an incredible journey for the kid from the neighborhood in the Belfast suburb, just outside the capital, who grew up watching his father, Stuart, also a midfielder, play for a local club.

Old Trafford Memory

His single match for the Red Devils came in the away trip in 2019, a Europa League trip to the host city, where they competed on an artificial pitch and the arena covering was closed owing to conditions of bitter cold. "It was a extended travel and it was freezing," he says, chuckling. "The preceding week, the academy prospects trained together, so that aided our adjustment. Just to join the main group and make an appearance at the end was unbelievable."

Leaving United

What was the challenge was it to depart Manchester United, the club he transferred from aged a teenager? "This turned out fairly simple, because I arrived at the moment where I understood I wouldn't break through at the senior squad. I'm hugely grateful for the experience gained but it got to the point where I believed I had to take a different path, drop down the leagues and play first-team games. Now I'm slowly working my way back up."

New Environment

It is the early part of the afternoon at the club's training ground but Galbraith has a commitment at the early evening: a road rules assessment, another progress toward getting on the road. Prior to relocating to the local area, the 24-year-old was a constant rider in Swansea's nicknamed team minibus, a small coach driven by club employees, the drivers, which ferries players to and from training and matches.

"It's myself the Portuguese player, the Brazilian, Malick Yalcouyé – Melker Widell used to be in it but has got his license. It's nice to interact with the teammates but I'm hoping to be the subsequent individual to drive independently and driving. The Portuguese player enjoys practical jokes; he's frequently playing tricks."

Public Engagement

When he represented Leyton Orient, Galbraith would blend in with fans on public transport after beginning his trip at his base. "I tried|I attempted|My aim