Mansfield Town Player of the Match Rhys Oates has admitted it was a dream of his to play against boyhood club Arsenal, and he made sure to swap shirts after the game.
Despite Arsenal winning their FA Cup last-16 tie away to Mansfield Town on Saturday afternoon, Mansfield’s Rhys Oates ended up receiving the competition’s official Player of the Match award for his performance for the losing side.
Oates put in a good performance on the day, and it was all the more significant because he grew up as an Arsenal fan.
Speaking after the game, the Mansfield 31-year-old revealed that the appearance had fulfilled a lifelong dream of his.
“It’s the dream!” Oates said. “Since I was a kid, I always said I’d either play for Arsenal or play against Arsenal, and today I’ve managed to do that. It was just a dream, being in and around it from once I got to the ground, really.
“You’ve just got to enjoy every minute and that’s what I’ve done. I’ve played against Arsenal now, and dream come true, yeah.”
Other than his Player of the Match award, Oates got a memento of the match after swapping shirts with Riccardo Calafiori.
Perhaps that wasn’t the obvious choice, given players like Bukayo Saka were involved in the game. But Oates told BBC Radio Nottingham that he wanted the opponent he was up against on the day.
“I got Calafiori,” Oates confirmed. “If I’m going to swap a shirt, [I want to] get one from someone I’ve been up against.”
Mansfield’s attentions will now turn back to League One, with the team just five points clear of the relegation zone and up against promotion-chasing Reading on Tuesday.
But when the season is done, Oates will undoubtedly look back at this game against his boyhood team as one of the highlights.