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FA Cup: Elliott List's winner for Gillingham against Cardiff proves the perfect birthday present

That one’s for you mum, said match-winner Elliott List after his goal dumped Premier League Cardiff City out of the FA Cup.

List had to keep the celebrations to a minimum for his mum’s birthday the day before Gillingham’s big cup match at Priestfield.

But his 81st-minute strike, which put the Gills through to round four, was the perfect belated present.

Elliott List gets away from Cardiff's Bruno Manga Picture: Ady Kerry
Elliott List gets away from Cardiff's Bruno Manga Picture: Ady Kerry

He said “It was her birthday on Friday and so that one is probably for her.

“We couldn’t celebrate because of the game coming up but she can have my champagne!

“My mum and dad come to every single game and they always support me, up and down the country, it’s lovely to do that in front of them.”

List credits his parents for helping him get over the disappointment of being released from Crystal Palace as a youngster.

Saturday’s winning goal is another step forward for the 21-year-old, who is hoping to work his way back up to the top.

He said: “My mum and my dad got around me and told me to go out and prove to the world that I can do it.

“They told me I was good enough to do it and to believe in myself. I listened to them and I said to myself, ‘I can do this’. Knockbacks make you stronger.

“Every kid dreams of being at the top. I want to work as hard as I can for the Gills and get them up the league. I am enjoying my football.”

Scoring the winner was List’s best moment in football so far, not just in the FA Cup. His previous highlight in the competition was an assist against Leyton Orient in round one last year.

Talking about his big moment on Saturday, List said: “I was delighted, it was amazing and I’m buzzing to have scored and won the game against a Premier League side, to be through to the next round, it’s everything you want.

“We knew we would have to soak up lots of pressure, knew they would have a lot of the ball. They are a quality Premier League side, but we knew going forward we could create things and that’s what we did.

“That is probably the best win of my career so far, scoring against a Premier League side in the FA Cup and getting us through, that’s great.”

A match against former club Palace would ‘be quite cool’ but Premier League champions Manchester City are the team List wants. He said: “A lot of the boys want to play Manchester United at Old Trafford, or Liverpool at Anfield, but I personally want Manchester City away.

“It would be stuff of what dreams are made of, playing there. You never know. I’m an Arsenal fan but I think Man City are the best team in the Premier League and in the country.”

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