“I’ve dreamed to play here for a long, long time.”
Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was still ‘happy’ after Man United defeated his side 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday evening, and his attitude after the game as captured the hearts of football fans everywhere.
The Red Devils defeated Omonia 3-2 in the Europa League in Cyrpus last week and the hosts’ goalkeeper Fabiano Freitas was named Man of the Match for his stellar performance, but he was not available for the return fixture at Old Trafford.
This gave the life-long Manchester United fan and second choice goalkeeper an incredible opportunity to play against his beloved club.
Despite the result, and the fact they conceded in the 93rd thanks to a Scott McTominay goal, you could not keep the smile off Uzoho’s face.
“I’m not disappointed, because we had a great game,” a smiling Uzoho told BT Sport. “I would have preferred to get at least a point, but I’m happy, in this stadium, with big players. It’s a dream come true for me [playing against United].
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1580668035341639680
“I’ve dreamed to play here for a long, long time. When I saw the draw and figured I’d be playing at Old Trafford, I wanted to play. I prayed to God for an opportunity to play and I got it. Arguably, yes [my best ever performance], I think so.
“I’m proud of my teammates because it was not a one-man job. We gave everything out there as a team. I’m happy with my performance and that’s it.”
This photo of boyhood Man United fan Francis Uzoho meeting his goalkeeping idol David de Gea is magic ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aLzgkT7Jj6
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 14, 2022
Uzoho was also named Man of the Match for his performance, and to make the day even better, he posed for a picture with Erik Ten Hag afterwards.
His opposition goalkeeper David De Gea also took the time to chat to him, a moment which captures the pure joy that Uzoho was clearly feeling at fulfilling a lifelong dream.
