Youngster eager to perform and outshine leading lights of small screen.
Conor Grant said that seeing his opposite number walking out of the Keepmoat Stadium tunnel on Saturday afternoon rather than appearing on ‘Match of the Day’ won’t faze him.Loanee Grant – a boyhood Everton fan – bagged two in the previous round of the FA Cup and saw Rovers rewarded with a plum tie against top flight opponents in Stoke City.
“We see them week in week out on ‘Match of the Day’ and we are familiar with the players so it does give you an extra incentive but then again it’s a football match and we want to play well and hopefully win the game,” he said.
“In my short career so far, it (the matchwinng brace v Cambridge) is definitely a big highlight, I had a good game and obviously I want to take that in to Saturday but it’s important that the team perform well as last time we were here we didn’t perform to what we could do in front of the fans and its important that we give a good account of ourselves and test ourselves because its against the quality of the opposition like Stoke and we want to win.
“It will be a great test for me, against top players so it’s important that I perform and make sure I give a good account of myself.”
The Toffees loanee wasn’t even born the last time that the Goodison Park outfit lifted the coveted trophy, but the pull of the big stage is still strong for the twenty year old.
“When you’re growing up as a kid you want to play in front of the cameras in the big games and this is one of them,” said Grant.
“This is the first year I’ve experienced it as a player and I’ve had a massive buzz in the first two rounds so I’m expecting it to be even bigger on Saturday.
“I’m in good contact with Joe Royle (Everton’s football consultant) and he rings me after games and wishes me well before games too and he’s been brilliant for me.
“(The loan spell) has been great so far and long may that continue as its up to me to keep working hard and put the performances in on the pitch and the gaffer’s brought me in and been superb with me and let me get on with my game and pick up on certain things within my game and that’s great for my progression.”