'I'm dreaming of scoring' - TOWIE star and Crawley Town new boy Mark Wright aiming for Leeds United FA Cup upset

New Crawley Town signing and reality television star Mark Wright says he is 'dreaming' of an FA Cup winning goal against Premier League Leeds United.

Marcelo Bielsa's side travel to face the League Two outfit in the third round of the competition in early January.

John Yems' team announced the surprise signing of Wright, who is a The Only Way is Essex veteran and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here runner-up, on a non-contract basis this week.

Wright has been training with the club in recent months and featured in a friendly against Reading in November.

Before the 33-year-old turned to television work, Wright had a youth career at West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, before a spell with Southend United and a loan stint with Crawley in the 2006/07 season.

He has also played in Soccer Aid fixtures previously.

Although he isn't expected to feature for Crawley in the immediate future, Wright is hoping that he can be up to full speed and fitness for the visit of the Whites in the new year.

"I'm hoping to be part of the side or part of the squad by then," Wright told Sky Sports.

"I'm so happy and grateful to be around it. If I was to start or be on the bench or just be in the squad it would be a great moment.

"Leeds are a Premier League side. My greatest memory of me against Leeds was the quarter-finals as a youth team player and I scored the winning goal.

"It was the 88th minute at Leeds' training ground.

"If I can recreate that in the FA Cup and take us through to the next round it would be a special moment. People will dream. I will dream.

"I'm dreaming anyway. The fact that I'm doing this is such an amazing opportunity... I am so thankful to Crawley."

Asked about whether the signing could be viewed as a PR stunt and if people would be sceptical of the move, he added: "It's not the case. I have stayed away from the cameras for the last two and a half months since I've been down there [training].

"I've kept my head down making the hour and a half drive down [to Crawley] every morning. I've just kept my head down to train. I'm loving it and when the signing happened... with the nature of my job I know that comes with negatives.

"People know who I am and there are going to be cynics. I'm not just a footballer off the street who they don't know. People will talk. They know me for something else so for people to see past that, it is easy for them to be narrow-minded.

"I think I would be the same. If they look at my background and where I started you don't sign youth terms at Spurs or a professional deal at Southend unless you naturally have something.

"I've been away from the game for a long time. Hopefully I can prove people wrong."