Fulham striker Stephen Humphrys, on loan at Rochdale, fulfilled a childhood dream on Wednesday night by scoring at Wembley Stadium.
The striker equalised for loan side Rochdale in their Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round Replay against Tottenham Hotspur, but the home side rallied after the break to secure a comfortable 6-1 win.
And while the night didn’t end how he would have liked, Humphrys at least left the home of English football having made his mark.
“It’s an indescribable feeling,” he said. “It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had but I can’t really put it into words.
“I can’t remember the goal, I can’t remember what happened. I didn’t even look as it hit the back of the net.
As soon as it went past Michel Vorm I just sprinted off!
“Everything went silent and I was just thinking, ‘has this goal been given?’ I turned around and saw that it had, and while I can’t really describe what that felt like, it was definitely the best feeling I’ve ever had. ”
Humphrys can be proud of his strike, as he showed great movement and technique to get on the end of Andrew Cannon’s ball over the top before rifling confidently beyond Spurs captain Vorm.
Things could have got even better for Dale when the pair reversed roles as Humphrys teed up his teammate at the end of the first half, only for Cannon to strike the base of the post.
“That’s what I work on, I pride myself on scoring goals,” he explained. “I’m thankful that I got the pass from Andy and the rest was up to me.
“I’m just thankful and grateful to the manager for picking me. He’s showed faith in me to play the minutes that I did and I can’t thank him enough for giving me the opportunity.
“It’s a different game if that we score again in the second half. It’s a great effort by Andy Cannon.
“If that goes in then we probably would have just sat back and booted the ball as far away from our goal as possible, but it is what it is.
“They’re obviously much fitter and they’re world class footballers at the end of the day.
“My family, friends, uncles, aunties, grandma, granddad, everyone was there, so to give them that moment in the first half, I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.
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Tottenham did rest players but still boasted a side full of internationals, with Humphrys finding himself up against three England defenders in Kieran Trippier – whose shirt he received at the end of the game – Eric Dier, and Danny Rose.
Humphrys did not let the occasion overawe him, however, as was evident when he came out on top of a crunching but fair challenge with another England man, Harry Winks.
“To be fair, I didn’t even know it was Harry Winks,” he stated. “I just saw the ball and went in for the 50-50.
“I don’t pull out of those challenges, I’ve got 90 kilograms behind me so it will take some doing to stop me getting the ball in that situation!
“You’ve got to respect these players but you can’t be overawed by them or else they’ll just pick you apart.
At the end of the day, people are only human, even if they are world class footballers.
“I’m an England fan so to play against England internationals is really what you’re a footballer for. I was a little bit starstruck but you’ve got to get your head in the game and concentrate".
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Earlier in the season, walking out at Wembley must have seemed like a pipedream for Humphrys as he battled through injury, but he paid tribute to the staff at his parent club for helping him get through that difficult period.
“The first five months of the season were a nightmare for me, but I can’t thank the physios and fitness guys at Fulham enough for helping me get back to full fitness,” he said.
“They really gave me this opportunity as much as the manager here has, so I’m really grateful for that and hopefully I can stay fit and keep doing what I’m doing.”