KAYDEN Jackson is one Accrington Stanley player who knows what it is like to play at Nethermoor is striker Kayden Jackson.
As a youngster he played for Guiseley Juniors and also the Wharfedale & District FA Representative side before winning a national competition which earned him a contract with Swindon Town.
The 23-year-old striker has thrived since joining League Two side Accrington and has been a regular in manager John Coleman’s team this season.
And he will have his own private fan club of family and friend at Sunday’s tie which is being shown as part of BBC’s Final Score programme.
Jackson has never previously started an FA Cup tie so the game marks another first for him.
“The FA Cup is still very special in my mind,” said Jackson. “I haven’t played much in it at all. I got a few minutes for Grimsby away at Bolton but this will be my first start in the FA Cup Proper – if I get the chance to.
“I’m looking forward to it and it’s a nice draw for myself. I used to play at Guiseley when I was younger, for their U16s, and my family live close by to Nethermoor Park so it will be special to have a few people there watching me play, hopefully we win and I can score a couple of goals!
“I’m not one of those players who want to rest in a cup game, it’s a big game and I want to play in as many rounds as possible this year, it’s up to the gaffer but I certainly don’t want to miss out on Sunday.”
Accrington’s 4-1 win over Barnet last Saturday saw them climb to second in League Two, but Jackson knows that the cup can produce upsets.
Jacksson scored the final goal as Accrington secured a 4-1 win over Barnet on Saturday to move up to second-place in Sky Bet League Two, but Jackson insists league form will count for nothing when they visit the National League side.
“They’ve changed managers a couple of times since I last played against them,” he said. “But it’s always been a tough ground to visit, they’re a good side and they will be up for this massively like any non-league team playing against a Football League team would be.
“They will feel they have something to prove and the public will be looking for an upset, it’s not a game that anybody in our dressing room believes will be easy, but we know if we’re at it then we can go there and progress further in this competition.”
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