Oxford City can shock Leicester

ByDan GeorgeBBC Sport, Oxfordshire and Ross HeatonBBC Radio Oxford

Oxford City midfielder Scott Pollock believes there is “no reason” his side cannot pile more pressure on his beloved Leicester City by pulling off an FA Cup upset when they host the Foxes on Friday night.

The National League North side welcome the former Premier League and FA Cup winners to The MGroup Stadium in the first round of this season’s competition, under the lights on their artificial pitch.

Pollock, who joined the non-leaguers in July, is relishing coming up against his boyhood club, who he supports and tried out for as a youngster.

“It just felt like it was meant to be as a Leicester fan myself,” he told BBC Radio Oxford.

“Away (from home) would have been nice but I feel that at home we have a good chance of going through.

“I had trials with Leicester as a goalkeeper when I was younger and they turned me down, it was then after that I decided to be an outfield player.”

Oxford City have made it to the first round proper for the first time in four years, having narrowly beaten Torquay United in the final qualifying round.

Pollock, 25, has personal experience of an Oxford City shock.

He was a Northampton Town player in 2020 when the part-time Hoops beat their League One opponents 2-1 in an FA Cup giant-killing.

And he believes the pressure is all on the third-tier Foxes, who have struggled in their start to the League One campaign following back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and the Championship.

“There’s just a feeling of excitement among us really,” Pollock added.

“The pressure’s on them to do well in the league and in the cup – we’re at home and we know the pitch so it favours us in that aspect.

“That being said, we know they’re a good team so we have to be up for it. Oxford City have done cup upsets before and there is no reason why we can’t do it again.”

Oxford City v Leicester City

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From Youtube to playing on TV in the FA Cup

Pollock has had a somewhat unique footballing journey, first making a name for himself on YouTube with Hashtag United.

Spencer Owen co-founded Hashtag with his brother Seb Carmichael-Brown in 2016 and ran an academy series on their channel in 2017.

Pollock ended up winning the series, external and then played for their first team, starring in a charity game called the Wembley Cup where he won man of the match and was rewarded with a trial at Premier League side Crystal Palace.

A year later he moved to Northampton, where he made 29 senior appearances, scoring two goals.

“They were trying to find the next star,” he recalled of the Hashtag series, having applied for it when he was just 16.

“I didn’t think anything of it when I applied for it and I ended up winning it out of 20,000 people.

“It was a good experience when I was younger and I got to play men’s football from a young age so it’s helped a lot in my career.”

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