Internationals, Millwall stalwart and 'most valuable striker in England' - a look at Leeds United's FA Cup hosts Crawley Town

Formed way back in 1896, the Reds entered the Football League for the first time for the 2011-12 campaign having stormed to the previous season's Conference title under former Whites boss Steve Evans as part of his five years in charge.

Crawley were then promoted to League One at the very first attempt in May 2012 and lasted three seasons in the third tier after finishing as high as tenth in 2012-13.

The West Sussex side were relegated in May 2015 after finishing third bottom and Crawley are now in their sixth consecutive season in League Two having finished 13th last term.

But on recent evidence, another rise back up the ladder could be in the offing with Crawley unbeaten in their last eight league games, four of which have ended in victory.

John Yems' side took a notable scalp at the weekend as former Tottenham Hotspur youngster and now Crawley captain George Francomb's strike sealed a 1-0 success at Bolton Wanderers.

The win put Crawley sixth and only three points off an automatic promotion place after back-to-back wins.

The Reds are now licking their lips at the prospect of taking on Leeds for the first time ever and Crawley have history where the FA Cup is concerned.

As a Conference side under Evans, Town reached the fifth round back in the 2010-11 campaign and repeated the feat the following season in League Two.

Having put out Derby County in round three, Crawley's 2010-11 run was finally ended with a 1-0 loss at Manchester United for whom Wes Brown got the only goal of the game.

Stoke City then ended their adventure in the last 32 the following season having progressed past Bristol City and Hull City in rounds three and four.

Crawley also made the fourth round of last season's EFL Cup having dumped out Norwich City in the second round with a 1-0 triumph at their 6,134 capacity Broadfield Stadium.

The visit of Leeds presents the biggest home game in the club's history yet one that will be played in front of empty stands.

But the television cameras will be in town to show Sunday's 1.30pm kick-off live on BBC2, no doubt hoping to witness an upset and also reality TV star Mark Wright.

The former TOWIE star signed for the Reds in December and the 33-year-old former West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham youngster immediately set his sights on making the squad to face Leeds.

But Wright has yet to make a match day squad for a side who set up the clash against Leeds with a 6-5 victory at Torquay United in the first round followed by a 2-1 triumph at AFC Wimbledon.

Former Whites winger Harry Kewell managed Crawley between May 2017 and August 2018 before departing for Notts County.

Ex-Italian defender Gabriele Cioffi who later became part of the Birmingham City coaching staff then took over from Kewell but departed in December 2019 to be replaced by former Exeter City assistant Yems.

His side are now creeping up the rails in the League Two promotion race but still big underdogs against Leeds and 7-1 shots.

Twenty-one-year old former England Schoolboys and Doncaster Rovers striker Max Watters and 27-year-old Tom Nichols are two of the key threats with the two forwards having netted 20 goals between them this season - Watters on 13 and Nichols on seven - whilst Ashley Nadesan tops the assists charts with four.

Watters, formerly of Doncaster Rovers, is third in the League Two top scorers charts and Crawley's technical director Erdem Konyar said last month that there had been an interest from clubs both domestically and abroad in the striker's services.

Konyar has taken phone calls from clubs in England, Germany, France and Belgium asking about the valuation of a forward who has been strongly linked with QPR and Swansea City.

"I got a call from a club from a higher league last week and they asked how much," Konyar told the Crawley Observer last month.

"I said £1mllion. He laughed me off. He’s got a hat-trick since then. If he rings me today I will say £2 million. For me he’s the most valuable striker in England."

Nichols, meanwhile, bagged a hat-trick in the 6-5 win at Torquay in the first round in which Nadesan struck a 118th-minute winner.

Elsewhere, goalkeeper Tom McGill and midfielder Jake Hesketh are also on loan from Brighton and Southampton whilst several members of the Crawley squad began their careers as youngsters at Premier League sides, including defender Emmanuel Adebowale who started off at West Ham before moving to Sheffield United.

Football League experience is also aplenty with 35-year-old centre-back Tony Craig having made 316 appearances for Millwall whilst former Chelsea youngster Jake Hessenthaler has had 181 outings for Gillingham whom his dad Andy managed.

And Crawley also boast their own international flair with 24-year-old full back Josh Doherty a former Northern Ireland under-21 international and 21-year-old ex-Tottenham youngster Nick Tsaroulla capped for Cyprus' under-21s.

Even further afield, former Chesterfield striker Ricky German has previously been called up to the Grenada national side whilst Crawley also have a young Polish forward in their ranks in 19-year-old Brian Galach though probably not one that Whites country compatriot Mateusz Klich is familiar with.

Leeds, as a collective, will be not at all familiar with Crawley's Broadfield Stadium surroundings yet the hosts know all about upsetting the applecart where cups are concerned.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/premier-league-wanted-crawley-town-star-facing-fitness-test-leeds-united-clash-boss-provides-mark-wright-update-3089107

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins