FLINT STONE

Aden, rock of the Robins defence, can be just as threatening as a goalscorer, Jose

THE focus may be on how Bristol City’s defence keep out Manchester United’s star forwards.

But Jose Mourinho’s men should be just as worried about how they stop City centre-back Aden Flint, who is eyeing an “icing on the cake” goal against his boyhood club in tonight’s quarter-final at Ashton Gate.

Flint is the Robins’ goal-scoring defender as effective in the opposition box as his own. In City’s 2014/15 League One-winning season Flint finished with 15 goals.

And after a couple of quieter campaigns as he adjusted to the Championship, Flint is on course for double figures again this year having got six goals already. Flint, who is 6ft 6in, said: “I’ve always scored goals wherever I have been. It is right place, right time, and given my height it is probably a no-brainer to use me in the box.”

He is such a threat he could be employed as an emergency striker.

“We have worked on it in training,” he said. “The strikers have been doing fantastic this season, but our big target man is having surgery this week so it might be an option.

“I enjoy scoring, it would be different for me, but we’ll see.”

The United tie is special for the Flint family. The defender became a fan like his dad and used to idolise Peter Schmeichel. But he will be happy to see them beaten this evening and smiled: “A Flint winner would be the icing on the cake. You dream about playing for United, but to play against them is just as special.

“Coming up against any United player would be amazing. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a football icon so it would be nice to test myself against him.”

But Lee Johnson (circle) and his in-form side have no reason to be daunted, having already knocked out Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace. Flint (right, with Johnson) added: “It shows where we want to be, competing at the highest level.”