Elliot List’s winning Emirates FA Cup goal against Cardiff City has been immortalised in a new Football Association publication of “Roy of the Rovers” – Cup Heroes Special. 
Drawn by the same artists who have relaunched the comic book, Lists’ 80th minute strike against the Welshman I pictured along with the other upsets from the Third Round, with subsequent publications being issued after every round and alongside three new Roy of the Rovers books – Scouted; Teamwork; Play Offs – and three new graphic novels which will be published in the coming months.
The Gills striker along with boss Steve Lovell was at Thursday afternoon’s launch at the Club’s Mega-Store and spoke to KSN about the next stage of the competition and Saturday’s trip to Championship Swansea City. “Saturday is another massive game for us, and we’ve been training as hard as Cardiff game, and hopefully we can go there and get a result,” List told us.
“It always helps when you’ve got the whole stadium rocking behind you – to get another win like we did in the Third Round would be amazing. It’s been frustrating since the Cardiff game as they’ve been up and downs and that though is football! You’ve no idea how you can go away to the team at the top of the League and then lose to the bottom next week – but that’s football and you have to give 100pct.”
Reflecting on his own season, the Gills striker admitted, “I’ve been getting and able to take more opportunities and I’m really enjoying my football as well which is key, as you can play without any fear or any real problems and you can deliver. It helps when the gaffer selects you and give you the real confidence and a real boost to go out there and do what you want to do.”
And we couldn’t let the hero of Round Three leave without asking about the goal that sank Cardiff. Smiling, he said, “as the ball dropped to me, I was going to put in the far corner, but I saw the keeper moving that way really early, I just thought that I have toe around it and out it in the other corner as much as I could. There are eleven people on the pitch – we’re all a team and whilst it would be nice for the crowd singing my name all the time, but they’ll always sing a goal scorer’s name and that’s why I don’t mind as its great playing with Tom. We’re all trying to work as one unit on the pitch and play as a team, and I just hope that we can put on a performance for everyone travelling and come back with hopefully another on!”