Mansfield Town midfielder Conor Shaughnessy hopes to embark on a cup run, starting with victory over Chorley on Saturday.
The 23-year-old will be looking to make his 11th appearance in amber and blue as the Stags host National League opposition in the FA Cup first round.
He believes a run in the world’s most famous domestic cup competition would act as a massive ‘confidence boost’ for the club.
“I love it, growing up watching the FA Cup and it’ll be great for us as a club to go on a little run. It’ll be great for confidence and helping us out in the league,” he began.
“They [Chorley] are going to put up a strong fight – I’m sure it’ll be a physical game. It’s one of them where we have to start well and our quality will show.”
The Lancashire-based non-league side, according to Shaughnessy, may be an unknown quantity due to them sitting a division below Mansfield in the English pyramid.
He said: “You see underdogs coming forward all the time in these games and putting up a good test. Anything can happen in the [FA] cup so we won’t be taking it lightly at all, we’ll be looking to win.
“Everyone ups their game in this competition, especially when you’re playing teams from the league above you so we’ve got to be ready for that on Saturday.”
The Irishman, on loan from Leeds United, will be hoping to avoid a reoccurrence of a previous tie with his parent club which saw them lose to lower league opposition in the shape of League Two side Newport County in January 2018.
“It was a tough day. It was my first experience of the FA Cup and it was a learning curve for everyone, for me.
“I know going into these games you can’t take your foot off the pedal at all. You need to go into it 100 per cent because anything can happen.”
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