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Salford City head to the Etihad this weekend for the ultimate FA Cup David vs Goliath clash steeped in rivalry.
The Ammies, with footballing royalty as their owners, face their illustrious neighbours, Manchester City, in a match that promises fireworks with a Manchester derby like no other.
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With the the clubs situated a mere five miles from each other, the Salford fans only have a short journey to make from their city to Manchester.
Despite the quick journey, and Man City being three leagues above the Ammies, there won't be many niceties shared between the two sides.
Salford's owners and stakeholders include Man United royalty who will not be leaving their long-lasting rivalry at the door.
Nicknamed the Class of 92', due to their rise to stardom within the early 1990s, the group includes Gary and Phil Neville, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt.
Ahead of this momentous clash, Butt spoke to talkSPORT to share the immense significance of the tie, with a number of fellow Man United legends expected to attend.
“When the draw came out everyone was like, ‘Wow it’s amazing.’ It’s going to be an amazing day for people that have worked at Salford for many, many years.
“It’ll be a nice day out for them and at unbelievable club who have basically obliterated the Premier League for 10 years.
“For the players to go and play in a stadium like that against that quality of players. It’s just going to be an amazing day out.
“We’re not stupid, we’re not going to hold anyone accountable for not winning, we’re going to go there and have a good time, let the lads enjoy it and the fans.
“There might be 40, 50 thousand people there, we might get 7, 8 thousand of our fans there.
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“It’s an exciting time and something we’re looking forward to. I will be going to the game, and most of the lads will be going.
“We’ll have very red, Salford red and Man United red, people in the director's box.”
In March 2014, it was revealed that Butt, along with fellow ex-Manchester United legends Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, and the Neville brothers, had come together to purchase Salford City ahead of the 2014–15 season.
Their mission was to elevate the club to the Football League, a goal they have since achieved.
Neville and Giggs were particularly concerned about the lack of talent emerging from grassroots football and chose Salford for its proximity to The Cliff, the former training ground that had shaped them in their youth.
In September of that year, the group made the decision to sell a 50% stake in the club to billionaire Peter Lim.
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Butt was appointed the club’s chief executive officer in October 2022, stepping in for Gary Neville, who had held the position in a part-time capacity for eight years.
In October of last year, Butt announced his decision to step down as CEO of Salford to pursue coaching opportunities.
Salford are soaring high in League Two, proudly occupying the third automatic promotion spot.
The Ammies are currently unbeaten in their last six games.
And they might seize the opportunity against a City side grappling with injury setbacks and unsteady form.
Pep Guardiola’s men have faced some turbulent times recently, and this is a fixture they absolutely cannot afford to lose. If they do, it could haunt them for years to come.
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This is the first-ever meeting between the two clubs, with City having won their last 17 matches when facing an opponent for the first time in all competitions, since a 2-1 loss to Lyon in September 2018.
Ederson is back in training and may start behind an inexperienced defence featuring promising academy talents Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Kaden Braithwaite.
James McAtee could finally get his moment to shine from the starting lineup, while Erling Haaland is likely to be rested.
Jack Grealish is expected to return to the starting XI alongside Matheus Nunes after Guardiola challenged the England international to find his best form once again.
This FA Cup third-round tie will take place on Saturday, January 11 with kick-off at the Etihad is scheduled for 17:45pm.
For live commentary, tune in to talkSPORT through the website, or click HERE for the live stream.
