THE DAY TORRES KILLED FORRESTER’S DREAM
Now Harry’s happy not to be the underdog
FERNANDO TORRES didn’t exactly produce a lengthy list of glories in a Chelsea shirt to justify his exorbitant £50million transfer fee. But somewhere in there, tucked between the spurned opportunities and Match of the Day inquests, was a goal that crushed Harry Forrester’s dreams of FA Cup fame.
The Rangers winger will line up against Kilmarnock this lunchtime hoping to pen a tale of genuine achievement i n this season’s Scottish Cup. His story in its English equivalent is mainly one of what might have been.
In January 2013, Rafa Benitez took Chelsea to Griffin Park to face Brentford, then of League One, for what proved a pulsating fourth-round tie.
Brentford took the lead. Chelsea equalised. Then, with 17 minutes remaining, Uwe Rosler’s team were awarded a penalty.
Up stepped Forrester to place it in the bottom corner and leave a giant of the game teetering on the brink of elimination.
Torres, though, hauled them back from the edge with an instinctive 18-yard finish.
‘We drew 2-2 at home but then got thumped at Stamford Bridge,’ recalled Forrester. ‘We were twice ahead in the first game and I
“I would like to think that I’ve not hit my potential yet”
scored the penalty to put us 2-1 up. But then Torres scored in the 83rd minute and that killed us. Their quality told in the end.
‘I was Brentford’s penalty-taker at the time. You don’t often get the chance to score against Chelsea, so I wasn’t about to shy away from it. Luckily, I scrambled it into the bottom corner.
‘Ross Turnbull was in goal for Chelsea that day. Funnily enough, he joined me at Doncaster later on. I battered him a few times about that penalty, to be honest.
‘Chelsea had a strong team out. (Juan) Mata, Torres, Oscar — (Branislav) Ivanovic was right-back. Frank Lampard played as well.
‘The first game was really good, a full house at home. But the replay was really just an occasion for the fans. It ended up 4-0. Chelsea didn’t score until after half-time but then the floodgates opened.’
After playing the plucky underdog, Forrester now has a very different weight of expectation on his shoulders.
‘We’re Rangers and we expect to go far in the tournament,’ he admitted. ‘It will be a tough test against Kilmarnock but we know what we have in the dressing room. It’s about us doing what we do and not worrying about the opposition.’
Which also just happens to be the club that gave Forrester ( below) his debut i n senior competitive football.
Then a promising England youth international on the books of Aston Villa, he moved on loan to Killie in August 2010.
Forrester made eight appearances for Mixu Paatelainen’s team before returning south the following January.
‘It was my first experience of men’s football. I was in the reserves at Villa and it was about me going out and getting games in the men’s environment, similar to what Gedion ( Zelalem) and Dom Ball are doing just now, albeit at a bigger club.
‘It was good f or me. Mixu was a good manager and played football in a style that helped me.
‘I kept an eye on their results for a while. You get to know the club and a few of the boys, so you do check in and see how they’re doing.
‘Over time, the team changes and you stop looking every week, but it’s always there. ‘Only Jamie Hamill and Rory McKenzie are maybe left from my time. ‘I played against Rangers during my l oan spell. Kenny Miller scored a hat-trick that day. I played against Celtic as well and they were big games for me at 19. You’ve got to adapt, take it all in and learn what you can. It toughens you up a bit. You’re moving to a different country where you don’ t know any people.
‘You need to prove yourself to your new team-mates and prove you can handle the men’s game.
‘Reserve football is good but it’s not as physical as the men’s game, where livelihoods are on the line.
‘You’ve got to get results. It’s a shock to the system at first but you get there.’
Forrester admits his career since hasn’t panned out as he’d hoped. Two years at Brentford were followed by longer stint with Doncaster, where the 25- year-old latterly became frustrated by a lack of appearances. Mark Warburton, sporting director at Griffin Par k during Forrester’s time, signed him for Rangers on a deal until the end of the season. The winger’ s challenge is to earn a longer stay.
‘I’ve been at a few clubs since I left Killie and I’d like to think I’ve not hit my potential yet,’ insisted Forrester.
‘ I should be getting there, though. Coming here was a good chance for me, working with the gaffer at a club on the up.
‘Hopefully we get promotion and go far in the Cup. It’s great to be part of a club with a winning mentality.
‘I’ve loved every minute. I’ve started to get game time — which I’ve not had in the last couple of months — and it was good to get half an hour the other day.
‘I’ll take it week by week, game by game. I’m in no rush. When the time is right I’ll be called in for a chat. It’s early days, I’ve only been here a few months and I’m just starting to get a feel for the place.’
Rangers supporters can pay at the gate in the Copland Rear stand right up until the 12.30pm kick-off against Kilmarnock. Ticket prices are £19 adults, £14 concessions and £6 kids.