Oxford City's Pollock targets FA Cup upset against boyhood club Leicester

Oxford City midfielder Scott Pollock believes there is no reason his side cannot pull off an FA Cup upset when they host Leicester City in the first round on Friday night. The National League North club welcome the former Premier League and FA Cup winners to The MGroup Stadium, where the tie will be played under floodlights on an artificial pitch.

Pollock, who joined the non-league side in July, is looking forward to facing his boyhood club, whom he supports and once had trials with as a goalkeeper before being turned down and switching to an outfield role. He said a home draw was welcome because he feels Oxford City have a good chance of progressing.

Oxford City reached the first round proper for the first time in four years by narrowly beating Torquay United in the final qualifying round. Pollock, 25, has personal experience of an Oxford City shock, having been a Northampton Town player in 2020 when the part-time Hoops beat League One opponents 2-1 in the FA Cup.

He argued that the pressure is all on Leicester, who have struggled at the start of their League One campaign following back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and the Championship. Pollock added that the home side know the pitch, which favours them, though he acknowledged Leicester are a good team and Oxford City will need to be up for the occasion.

The midfielder's route to the tie has been unusual: he first made his name on YouTube with Hashtag United, winning an academy series run by the club in 2017 before playing for their first team. A man-of-the-match display in the charity Wembley Cup earned him a trial at Crystal Palace, and a year later he moved to Northampton, where he made 29 senior appearances and scored two goals. Pollock said playing men's football from a young age has helped his career.

Source: BBC Sport

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