Former Walsall Football Club manager Ray Graydon has spoken to the press ahead of the Saddlers' Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final clash with Bristol City, and despite being Bristol born-and-bred, has discussed his desire to see the Saddlers lift the trophy at the weekend.
Speaking to the Walsall Advertiser, Ray said; "When I go back to the Midlands it's a fantastic thing – I go out and about and if I meet somebody from Walsall, they will be telling me they were at the Millennium or if it wasn't them it was their dad, and it was the best moment of their dad's life.
"And if I meet football people from Villa, they say 'I was there at the League Cup final when you scored the goal, the penalty that was saved and you put back in'.
"So they are magic moments to me and I would like there to be magic moments for Walsall this weekend obviously. I will be rooting for them.
"They were a big part of my life, they gave me some of the best moments of my life. And I would only wish the best for the manager, the supporters and the owner of the football club that they can go there and win.
"Scoring the only goal in a League Cup final is a big, big memory for me. One of the two best highlights of my time in football, along with winning promotion at the Millennium.
"It's also something I'm proud of because I can speak to some of the young pros now and say 'look, you'll never ever be able to play at Wembley and score the only goal in front of 100,000 people' as it doesn't hold that many now!
"It wasn't a particularly great game in terms of football. But it was a fantastic game in terms of winning it and on a personal note having all my family there – my mom and dad, when they were alive, my brothers and sisters and hundreds and hundreds of good friends and of course supporters."