Meet Newport stars who grew up supporting Man U as prepare to face Ten Hag side

Newport County are gearing up for their biggest game in recent memory as they prepare to take on Manchester United in the FA Cup.

After a difficult start to the season that left them languishing perilously close to the relegation zone, the League Two club are in the midst of an upswing in form under manager Graham Coughlan.

After defeating Oldham in the first round, the exiles survived successive replays against Barnet and Eastleigh to set up a fourth round showdown with Erik ten Hag's star-studded side at Rodney Parade.

With a fair few United supporters sprinkled among his first team, Coughlan will be hoping his side can focus on the task at hand and produce a memorable upset on Sunday afternoon.

Mail Sport investigated Newport's history with the Red Devils...

Graham Coughlan

Newport’s manager supported United growing up in Dublin and remembers being reduced to tears aged four when Arsenal beat United in the FA Cup final in 1979. He also played against Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham in United reserves during his playing days at Blackburn.

Seb Palmer-Houlden

The teenage striker, on loan from Bristol City, was a ball boy when the Robins knocked United out of the League Cup in 2017.

‘I was watching Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and good old Korey Smith scored an injury-time winner,’ he said. ‘It shows what can happen in the Cup!’

Nathan Evans

Local lad Evans, another United supporter, spent eight years in the Welsh leagues and worked in a coffee shop near the training ground before the attacking midfielder rejoined Newport last summer.

Scot Bennett

The stalwart defender is another huge United fan and his twin sons Lucas and Hunter have replica shirts with Hojlund and Rashford on the back.

Bennett will get his hands on the real thing having also swapped shirts with Fernandinho, James Maddison and Eric Dier after previous FA Cup ties.

Adam Lewis

Scouse left-back Lewis will be less enamoured. He is on loan from Liverpool and a big Reds fan.

‘Hopefully I can get one over them,’ he said. ‘I’ve had tons of messages from Liverpool fans and my family saying that I’ve got to beat them, so fingers crossed!’

Will Evans

The Newport forward was milking cows and shovelling manure on his parents’ farm in Llangedwyn until he was 25 and now the United fan goes up against his boyhood club.