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Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he remembers the thrilling final moments of his team's epic comeback triumph against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. The game wrapped up with Galbraith briefly donning a spectator's eyewear after the pitch-side pile-on.

As the match entered added time, Galbraith rattled the woodwork with a powerful strike from outside the box, and his teammate quickly converted the loose ball before charging toward the crowd to mark the goal, with supporters mobbing the players.

Extraordinary Turnaround

This capped an extraordinary recovery given the team had trailed 2-0 during the final 45 minutes. Amid the delirium, there was some unintended consequences. The midfielder recalled, "There was a spectator shouting out and we were wondering: 'What's he on about here?' Then we spotted the glasses. It was a bit of banter putting them on. We are on the pitch as athletes but we're individuals, too, so to have a joke with the fans is always good."

Premier League Giants

The victory secured a next round match at home against the Premier League champions on Wednesday, opponents Galbraith ran close at the equivalent round of the FA Cup with his former club in February. The athletic midfielder had an excellent perspective when Orient took the lead in remarkable manner, with the attacker's volley from about long distance going in via the woodwork and the City goalkeeper. It feels criminal that it was deemed an own goal.

"You would have hoped they would've awarded it to him for having a go from that distance," says Galbraith, who played in the middle before moving to right flank after the team changed formation. That meant getting to grips with Jack Grealish, with whom he swapped shirts, and the attacker was among the opposition who complimented the way the underdogs approached the match.

Opponent's Class

"Athletically they are exceptional but even the simple things and simple things, they can just execute repeatedly," Galbraith says. "It appears that they complete every delivery and they understand how to manage and neutralize a game. You can think you're holding your own and then suddenly they will just fizz a pass between defenders without you even spotting it. You have to be switched on at all times of the game. It demands a tough attitude and concentration just to stay in the game."

Welsh Transition

Swansea sought to acquire Galbraith in January and secured his signature to sign him in the summer in a £1.5m deal. He made a name as a crowd pleaser across two seasons at Leyton Orient and has quickly done the same in his new home. At Orient he joined forces once more with his former manager, who previously gave Galbraith his first extended run in senior football on loan at his loan club from United. Then came a temporary move at lower division Salford, before he moved on from his boyhood club.

Growth Journey

"I was probably a slightly green going into men's football. I think a lot of players would say youth team games is entirely separate. Sometimes it feels like possession is exchanged without serious challenge. There's not many tackles or duels. Once you start playing men's games you have to adapt rapidly."

International Recognition

He has demonstrated that development for both domestically and internationally, performing well for the Green and White Army, who could still reach the international competition next summer via the playoffs and for whom he has featured in the past five games, including two matches games against Germany. Ian Baraclough, Galbraith's previous international manager, offered the ultimate compliment, saying he was Northern Ireland's "little Iniesta or Xavi" given how he manipulates the ball and his ability to spot a decisive through ball.

Starting Out

It has been an incredible journey for the kid from the Queens Park estate in Glengormley, just outside Belfast, who grew up watching his father, his father, also a engine room operator, play for a local club.

Old Trafford Memory

The player's only game for United came in Central Asia in 2019, a European competition trip to the Kazakh capital, where they competed on an plastic turf and the stadium roof was closed owing to the weather of bitter cold. "It was a lengthy journey and it was chilly," he recalls, grinning. "The preceding week, the academy prospects trained together, so that helped us acclimatise. Just to travel with the first team and earn some playing time at the end was amazing."

Leaving United

How hard was it to depart Manchester United, the club he joined from Linfield aged his mid-teens? "This turned out fairly simple, because I got to the stage where I realized I wasn't going to make it at first-team level. I'm extremely thankful for the time I spent there but it became apparent where I thought I had to take a different path, move to a lower level 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 an appointment at 5pm: a road rules assessment, another step towards getting on the road. Before his recent move to the local area, the mid-twenties player was a constant rider in Swansea's dubbed player transport, a team vehicle driven by academy staff, the transport team, which transports players to and from training and matches.

"It's myself the Portuguese player, another squad member, the midfielder – a former passenger used to be in it but has started driving. It's nice to socialize with the teammates but I'm hoping to be the subsequent individual to drive independently and on the road. His teammate enjoys practical jokes; he's constantly causing mischief."

Supporter Connections

While playing for Orient, Galbraith would blend in with followers on London's Central line after beginning his trip at his base. "I tried|I attempted|My aim