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Ethan Galbraith can't help but smile as he reminisces about the nail-biting final moments of his team's remarkable turnaround triumph against Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup. That match ended with Galbraith briefly donning a fan's glasses amid the on-field celebration.

As the match entered added time, Galbraith struck the post with a speculative effort from distance, and the defender promptly slammed home the rebound before racing off toward the home end to revel in the moment, with fans mobbing the players.

Stunning Reversal

The victory capped an unbelievable recovery given Swansea had trailed 2-0 during the second half. During the celebrations, there was some collateral damage. Galbraith explained, "There was a fan sort of calling out and myself and Keysy [Josh Key] were puzzled: 'What's he on about here?' Then we saw the glasses. It was a funny incident putting them on. We are on the pitch as players but we're individuals, too, so to have a laugh with the fans is always good."

Premier League Giants

That win earned a next round game at home against Pep Guardiola's side on Wednesday, a team Galbraith came close against at the same stage of the FA Cup with his former club in February. He had arguably the best view when his former team took the lead in spectacular fashion, with Jamie Donley's long-range effort from about long distance going in via the crossbar and the City goalkeeper. It feels criminal that it was deemed an own goal.

"You would have wished they would've credited him for attempting the shot from that distance," says Galbraith, who started in midfield before moving to right defensive wing after they changed shape. That meant getting to grips with Jack Grealish, with whom he swapped shirts, and the player was among the Manchester squad who praised the way Orient approached the match.

City's Quality

"Physically they are very good but even the basics and basic skills, they can just do it over and over again," Galbraith says. "It seems as if they never miss a pass and they understand how to dictate and neutralize a game. You can feel you're holding your own and then abruptly they will just deliver a through ball through a line without you even seeing. You have to be switched on every second of the game. It requires a strong mentality and concentration just to remain competitive."

New Chapter

Swansea pushed to sign Galbraith in January and secured his signature to sign him in the summer in a £1.5m deal. He established himself as a popular figure across multiple campaigns at Leyton Orient and has quickly done the same in Wales. At the London club he linked up again with his former manager, who earlier gave Galbraith his initial sustained opportunity in first-team action on loan at Doncaster from Old Trafford. Then came a temporary move at fourth-tier Salford City, before he permanently left his boyhood club.

Development Path

"I was perhaps a slightly green going into men's football. I think numerous professionals would say youth team games is completely distinct. Sometimes it feels like play is circulated without much intensity. You see few tackles or duels. Once you start playing professional matches you have to learn quickly."

Country Call-ups

He has shown that maturation for his team and nation, excelling for Northern Ireland, who remain in contention for the global tournament next summer via the qualifying rounds and for whom he has featured in the past five games, including home and away games against Germany. Ian Baraclough, Galbraith's former international manager, paid him the ultimate compliment, saying he was Northern Ireland's "midfield general" given how he handles the football and his eye for a killer pass.

Starting Out

This marks an incredible journey for the kid from the Queens Park estate in the Belfast suburb, just outside the capital, who grew up watching his dad, Stuart, also a engine room operator, play for a local club.

Red Devils Debut

The player's single match for the Red Devils came in Central Asia in 2019, a European competition trip to the Kazakh capital, where they featured on an synthetic surface and the arena covering was sealed owing to the weather of freezing cold. "It was a lengthy journey and it was freezing," he says, smiling. "The days leading up, several youth players and I practiced as a group, so that assisted our preparation. Just to join the main group and earn some playing time at the end was unbelievable."

Moving On

How hard was it to depart Manchester United, the club he joined from Linfield aged his mid-teens? "This turned out quite easy, because I got to the stage where I understood I couldn't establish myself at the top level. I'm extremely thankful for the time I spent there but it became apparent where I felt I needed to go my own route, drop down the leagues and play professional soccer. Now I'm slowly progressing again."

New Environment

This occurs during the early part of the afternoon at the team's practice facility but Galbraith has somewhere to be at 5pm: a learner's exam, another move in the direction of getting on the road. Prior to relocating to the local area, the mid-twenties player was a regular in Swansea's dubbed player transport, a minibus driven by club employees, Pete and Howard, which transports players to and from training and matches.

"It's myself Gonçalo Franco, Ronald, Malick Yalcouyé – Melker Widell used to be in it but has begun using his own car. It's nice to spend time with the teammates but I'm aiming to be the following person to stop using the bus and on the road. Franco likes to pull a few pranks; he's always up to all sorts."

Public Engagement

When he represented his former club, Galbraith would mix with followers on London's Central line after commuting at the area he lived in. "I tried|I attempted|My aim