Ben Waine, forward for Port Vale, was the central figure in the surprising victory over Sunderland in the FA Cup round of 16, admitting that the achievement surpassed his 'wildest dreams.' The decisive goal from the 24-year-old, which eliminated the Premier League team, was celebrated with a tribute to the iconic celebration of Alan Shearer, a Newcastle legend and Waine's idol. Waine's connection to the Magpies comes from his mother. Although born in New Zealand, the forward grew up supporting the club and experienced a memorable day by knocking their rivals Sunderland out of the competition. 'There's nothing better than this. It was something I never dreamed of, and for it to happen this way… I think my family will be happy!' said the New Zealand international. 'It's unbelievable, look at this atmosphere. I've never seen anything like it. We fought so hard, I think we deserve it. We executed the game plan, it's as simple as that. It was undoubtedly the biggest surprise I've ever been involved in,' he added. This was Waine's third decisive goal in FA Cup matches this season, in a remarkable campaign for Port Vale, who are at the bottom of League One but have been improving under new manager Jon Brady, who has been in charge for 14 games. Despite the success, Brady admitted that the cup run could be a distraction. 'To be honest, it's a pain. It really is, because it's overloading our schedule and, as you saw, we lost one of our best center-backs and we don't have a squad big enough to handle so many games,' the coach explained. When asked about potential opponents, Brady focused on the league. 'I have no idea who is left! I saw Arsenal win yesterday, Chelsea narrowly beat Wrexham, and Man City, Liverpool… My God. I wouldn't know what to say because I'm thinking about Bradford on Wednesday,' he explained. Ben Waine, who dreams of representing New Zealand in the 2026 World Cup, lamented only not being able to face his beloved club, Newcastle, who have already been eliminated from the tournament by Manchester City. 'I don't want to get ahead of myself, but that's obviously the dream,' he said, before concluding: 'I was going to say Newcastle, but honestly, I don't know. Whoever it is, we'll face them and let's hope it's another great game!' On Sunderland's side, coach Regis Le Bris, despite a long list of injuries, assured that he fielded the best possible team. 'We came in strong and with the ambition to win, but also with the understanding that it would be a tough challenge due to the atmosphere, the crowd, and a fully committed team. All credit to them,' he stated. Le Bris downplayed the state of the pitch, saying: 'The pitch is what it is. We're not going to make excuses. It levels everything, technically and tactically. You have to enter the battle with a fighting spirit, and they were good at that. The crowd, the stadium, the event… they deserved to win in that aspect of the game.'
Ben Waine Port Vale remains central to this story.
Ben Waine Port Vale remains central to this story.
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