Macclesfield FC hero Sam Heathcote describes his ‘strange’ feelings after their stunning FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace, with the Non-League heroes now dreaming of facing Man United
11:58, 12 Jan 2026Updated 12:01, 12 Jan 2026
Boyhood Manchester United fan Sam Heathcote saw his hopes of playing Bruno Fernandes and co. dashed after their FA Cup exit.(Image: Getty Images)
Macclesfield defender Sam Heathcote saw his dream of playing against his boyhood club Manchester United dashed following their stunning victory over Crystal Palace. The Silkmen pulled off the biggest upset in FA Cup history with a 2-1 win on Saturday but his hopes of playing United suffered when they exited the competition.
Heathcote, 28, was at the heart of the Silkmen’s defence as they stunned the Premier League opponents on Saturday to book their place in the FA Cup fourth round. All eyes will be on the draw, which takes place at Anfield on Monday evening.
The central defender, who played locally for West Didsbury & Chorlton before continuing his non-league journey with Runcorn Linnets and then the Silkmen, is a primary school teacher at Stamford Park Primary School in Altrincham and returned to normality on Monday morning.
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Sam’s father, Graham, scored a penalty at the Kop end for Altrincham during an FA Cup tie against Liverpool in 1981 and 45 years on from the feat, his 28-year-old son awaits the next surmountable task after beating Palace.
While there were hopes of playing United, Heathcote wouldn’t mind scoring against Liverpool as a consolation.
He said: “I’m a United fan, always have been and my dad.
“He had a very famous career with the FA Cup, and it was something like the 45th anniversary since he scored against Liverpool for Altrincham in the FA Cup.
“So he scored at Anfield, he said the only thing that could have potentially pipped it was if I played against United.
“So that’s who I want in the next round. I’d love to score at Anfield, don’t get me wrong.”
Sam Heathcote is mobbed by supporters after Macclesfield’s FA Cup triumph.(Image: Getty Images)
Images captured the 25-year-old Guehi addressing supporters behind the goal, whilst at the opposite end, Dawson and Luke Duffy were lifted high during the pitch invasion.
Full-back Lewis Fensome was swiftly brought back to earth, filmed by teammate Josh Kay, on loan from Oldham Athletic, cleaning at his gym in the north west, whilst most of the Macclesfield squad returned to their regular employment on Monday.
More than 24 hours after the remarkable achievement, the reality hadn’t yet sunk in.
Heathcote said: “It’s weird, that’s probably the main thing.
“No one would have guessed what would have happened in that 90 minutes and beyond that, so yeah, I just still feel really strange and I’m obviously still full of adrenaline.
“I think it has sunk in, but I also still can’t quite believe that it’s happened it’s like it’s just been a big dream over the weekend.”
On Monday morning, it was back to reality after a historic weekend for Heathcote and his Macclesfield teammates.
For the 28-year-old, there was no rest as he would be back in front of a classroom and a whiteboard, teaching students from ages three to 11.
(Image: Getty Images)
The prospect of transitioning from the dizzying heights of playing alongside Premier League and international footballers worth millions of pounds to a primary school in Greater Manchester might have been the only antidote to overcome the historic feat at Moss Rose.
But the central defender wants to continue enjoying the moment. He said: “Now it’s all unfamiliar territory. I’m going on the BBC in the morning and then I’ll be back in school.
“It’ll probably back down to reality, but I’ll enjoy it whilst I can. It doesn’t happen for us lads playing at that level every single week, it literally doesn’t.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you’ve got to try and enjoy it. You’ve got to take the new experiences of doing interviews and speaking to different people and try and soak it in and enjoy because if we’re going to be realistic, is it going to happen again? Probably not.
“A special day and everyone at the football club will remember it for the rest of their lives.”