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Ethan Galbraith breaks into a smile as he remembers the nail-biting closing stages of his team's remarkable turnaround win against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. The game ended with Galbraith briefly donning a spectator's eyewear following the pitch-side pile-on.

During the final moments of stoppage time, Galbraith rattled the woodwork with a speculative strike from distance, and the defender quickly slammed home the loose ball before charging toward the East Stand to revel in the moment, with the crowd swarming the players.

Remarkable Recovery

This capped an unbelievable recovery given the team had trailed 2-0 midway through the final 45 minutes. In the celebrations, there was some unintended consequences. The midfielder recalled, "There was a spectator trying to get our attention and Josh Key and I were thinking: '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 athletes but we're individuals, too, so to have a laugh with the fans is always good."

Premier League Giants

The result earned a next round fixture at home against the Premier League champions on Wednesday, a club Galbraith ran close at the comparable phase of the FA Cup with his former club in February. He had an excellent perspective when his former team took the lead in stunning style, with the attacker's first-time shot from about 45 yards going in via the crossbar and the Stefan Ortega. It seems unfair that it was recorded as an own goal.

"You would have expected they would've credited him for having a go from that far out," says Galbraith, who started in midfield before switching to right flank after they changed shape. That meant getting to grips with City's winger, with whom he traded tops, and the winger was among the City players who complimented the way his former team attacked the game.

City's Quality

"Physically they are exceptional but even the basics and basic skills, they can just do it over and over again," the midfielder notes. "It feels like they complete every delivery and they know how to dictate and take the sting out of a game. You can believe you're holding your own and then without warning they will just deliver a through ball between defenders without you even seeing. You have to be alert throughout of the game. It demands a resilient mindset and concentration just to keep pace."

New Chapter

The club sought to acquire Galbraith in January and secured his signature to sign him in the summer in a significant move. He established himself as a crowd pleaser across multiple campaigns at Leyton Orient and has rapidly replicated that in south Wales. At his previous team he linked up again with his former manager, who earlier gave Galbraith his initial sustained opportunity in professional games on loan at a League One side from Manchester United. Then came a loan at fourth-tier the Manchester club, before he moved on from his boyhood club.

Growth Journey

"I was perhaps a slightly green going into professional soccer. I think numerous professionals would say under-23s football is completely distinct. Sometimes it appears the ball is moved without serious challenge. You see few physical contests. Once you start playing first-team football you have to learn quickly."

Country Call-ups

He has shown that growth for club and country, excelling for his national side, who could still reach the global tournament next summer via the knockout phase and for whom he has been selected in the past five games, including two matches encounters against a football powerhouse. Ian Baraclough, Galbraith's former international manager, paid him the ultimate compliment, saying he was Northern Ireland's "creative maestro" given how he handles the football and his eye for a decisive through ball.

Humble Beginnings

It has been quite the ride for the player from the local area in his hometown, just outside Belfast, who was raised observing his father, the elder Galbraith, also a midfielder, play for a local club.

Manchester United Experience

The player's single match for the Red Devils came in Central Asia in 2019, a Europa League trip to the Kazakh capital, where they competed on an artificial pitch and the arena covering was shut owing to conditions of freezing cold. "That proved to be a long trip and it was chilly," he comments, smiling. "The days leading up, the academy prospects trained together, so that helped us acclimatise. Just to travel with the first team and make an appearance at the end was incredible."

Moving On

How hard was it to depart Manchester United, the club he joined from Linfield aged a teenager? "This turned out fairly simple, because I got to the stage where I understood I wouldn't break through at first-team level. I'm very appreciative for the time I spent there but it became apparent where I thought 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."

Welsh Adaptation

It is the early part of the afternoon at the team's practice facility but Galbraith has somewhere to be at the early evening: a driving theory test, another progress toward getting on the road. Before his recent move to his new neighborhood, the 24-year-old was a frequent passenger in Swansea's so-called fun bus, a minibus driven by academy staff, the transport team, which shuttles players to and from sessions and fixtures.

"I travel with a teammate, the Brazilian, the midfielder – the Swedish defender used to be in it but has got his license. It's enjoyable to spend time with the teammates but I'm hoping to be the following person to stop using the bus and behind the wheel. The Portuguese player enjoys practical jokes; he's frequently playing tricks."

Public Engagement

When he represented his former club, Galbraith would blend in with fans on public transport after beginning his trip at the area he lived in. "I tried|I attempted|My aim