NEIL YOUNG will take a look alongside the touchline on Sunday night and realise all his football dreams have come true.

Former Chester boss Young - the man who masterminded the Blues phoenix club’s rise up non-league football - is now producing the goods at Marine.

Young’s part-timers take on Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round at Rossett Park - a Spurs side managed by the legendary Jose Mourinho.

“I’ll be thinking back to where it all started - on a Sunday morning on the playing fields at Queen’s Park in Birkenhead,” said Young, whose Northern Premier League side became only the second side from the eighth tier to reach the third round after beating Havant & Waterlooville after extra time.

“There will be a sense of achievement about it. But just to have the chance to go up against Jose Mourinho - one of the greats of world football - will be amazing.

“This is one of the biggest days in the history of the whole football club. To go up against Jose Mourinho. It’s like a footballing fairytale. To be able to bring Tottenham here for the third round of the FA Cup is unbelievable.

“He is a world-class manager, his record and CV speaks for itself. To be able to manage against Jose is a real proud moment.

“It’s a game I’m really looking forward but you just wish the fans were allowed in to see it.”

The television cameras will be there to witness the David v Goliath tie in a competition that has raked in almost £200,000 for the Crosby-based club.

It also earned Young, 45, a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the Merseyside club.

Victories over Runcorn Linnets and Nantwich Town saw Young paired up with his old club Chester, meaning a first ever return to The Deva Stadium as an opposing manager.

With games called off regularly this season, Marine have played more cup ties than the seven matches they’ve managed at league level in the North West Division.

Young, whose side knocked out his old club Chester before winning at League Two Colchester, said: “It’s an unbelievable draw. We will plan as best we can.

“Usually with Jose’s teams, he puts pretty strong sides out. We have won seven games to get here and this is a great reward.

“With the pandemic it has been terrible for everyone this year, but it has had a really negative effect on non-league football.

“We work very hard between me and the staff. We have brought together a good group of players who want to work hard and do well. They have all got the same work ethic.”

Marine striker Niall Cummins will be hoping to keep his school children happy when he comes up against Tottenham.

By day Cummins is a secondary school teacher and his pupils have been ribbing him about the challenge that lies ahead and been giving him a list of Spurs players he might want to tussle with.

“Since the moment the game was drawn out there has been a buzz absolutely everywhere from the club and wider to family and friends, people I have never spoken to before coming out of the hatch,” he said.

“I am a high school teacher in a secondary school in south Manchester. Every kid has give me some stick, ‘Are you going to do this to this player, are you going to score, whose shirt are you going to ask for’.”

Mourinho has talked about taking competitions seriously this week after reaching the League Cup Final.

He said: “To respect what English football is, what English clubs are, what English lower divisions are, and try to not be surprised in any of the games from smaller quality, the guys took it seriously.

“And that’s what I hope to do on Sunday in Crosby against Marine. Try to be serious, respect the opponents, and try to progress.”