Grimes wants more Cup magic

Matt Grimes is keen to help Swansea City keep their FA Cup run going this weekend and provide more fond memories for him to treasure from the much-loved competition.

The 23-year-old midfielder feels the cup still has a special place in every footballer's heart, with his favourite memory created whilst he was on the books of his hometown club, Exeter City.

“It is a competition that still has the magic for me,” the midfielder said. “When I was a youngster at Exeter we famously played Manchester United in the third round.

“We kept them to a 0-0 draw. For a non-league side to do that at Old Trafford was huge, and it was like we had won the cup.

“I remember going to the game as a fan and thinking ‘wow’ this is what you can do against big teams.”

Grimes admits watching the Grecians hold the might of Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils to a goalless draw has always inspired him.

And the 23-year-old hopes he can help the Swans continue another successful FA Cup run and reach the quarter-finals for a second successive season with victory over Brentford at the Liberty Stadium (4pm).

“Watching that game inspired me as a youngster,” he admits. “The magic of the cup is what football is all about.

“We want to keep progressing this season and go as far as we can. A lot of big teams have fallen, so you want to go into the next round and show what you can do.”