Timi Odusina has never been afraid to travel long distances throughout his career including the lifts he used to share from south London to Hale End with Emile Smith Rowe in his Arsenal academy days.
But, for once, defender Odusina will not have to after League Two Hartlepool’s FA Cup trip to Premier League Crystal Palace.
‘I’ll be home before the coach has even left to go back to Hartlepool,’ Odusina laughed.
Hartlepool defender Timi Odusina will be ‘back home’ in FA Cup clash at Crystal Palace
Odusina comes from Croydon and used to live close to Palace’s home ground Selhurst Park
Odusina was at Arsenal until 14 and played with the likes of Gunners star Emile Smith Rowe
Before a ball has even been kicked Saturday’s fourth-round tie, Hartlepool’s first for 13 years, is guaranteed to be a memorable occasion for the 22-year-old defender.
‘I was born and raised in Croydon, literally less than 10 minutes from Selhurst Park,’ he said with an endearing excitement.
‘The first game of football I ever went to watch live as a kid was a Crystal Palace game. They were in the Championship, scored a last-minute equaliser and Julian Speroni was in goal.
‘They’re the only things I remember it was that long ago but ever since then it sparked an interest and Palace have always been my second team [after Chelsea].
‘You pass Selhurst Park every day as a kid and want to be a footballer. It’s always in the back of your mind “what would it be like to play there?”
‘I’d never really think it would actually come to pass but as soon as I saw the draw straight away I just screamed. I called my family straight away. I’ve got loads of friends that support Palace. They were calling me buzzing but also abusing me, saying “there’s no point playing, you’re going to lose!”
‘My phone went off with people asking for tickets and saying it’s crazy I’m coming back home to play against Palace. It’s quite surreal.’
Odusina (pictured top row: third right) also played alongside Joe Willock (top row: second right) and Reiss Nelson (bottom row: left) at Arsenal’s academy
Odusina was once close to joining Palace with a trial lined up with his local club when he was nine.
But two days before his Monday visit to Palace Odusina, previously on an extended trial with Chelsea, impressed against Arsenal while playing for a team coached by Chelsea star Reece James’s dad Nigel.
The Gunners then offered him a trial and eventually snapped Odusina up before Palace got the chance to even have a look.
The defender was close to joining Palace but he was snapped up by the Gunners first
Odusina was at Arsenal until 14 and played with the likes of Smith Rowe, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson while a younger Bukayo Saka was also promoted up to join his age group.
‘It really was [some team],’ he said. ‘We rarely lost a game.’ One story to underline that sprung to mind.
Odusina said: ‘We were playing Tottenham and Emile was from Croydon as well – our dads used to drive in together, share the lifts sometimes – and that journey from Croydon to Hale End was a long one.
‘He came really late to the game and when he turned up we’re losing 2-0. He comes on at half-time and within 20 minutes scores a hat-trick and we win 3-2. Things like that would happen all the time with him, Reiss. It was honestly frightening.’
After Arsenal, Odusina was off to Norfolk to join Norwich, had a loan spell at Lancashire-based AFC Fylde before joining Hartlepool in the north east.
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Because of how far away from home he has played, Odusina’s friends and family have rarely had the chance to see him play live while getting home often has been equally difficult.
But he was well backed – as he will be at Palace with 25 tickets requested and counting – for the 2019 FA Trophy final at cup final venue Wembley while he was on loan at Fylde from Norwich.
Odusina is taking Smith Rowe’s and Saka’s achievements as ‘inspiration’ to improve own career
‘As a 19-year-old, playing at Wembley you can’t really describe it,’ he said. ‘Winning there was even better. I didn’t really take it in until I went back to Norwich and my coaches, all the managers were saying “that is a really big thing.” They’d all played, had good careers and some played at Wembley.
‘I had a conversation with Darren Huckerby about it. He told me “you’ve got to take it all in while you can because those things don’t come around often and it will hold you in good stead for the rest of your career.” When you’re young you can get sucked into the idea that these things happen all the time.
‘But when you hear ex-players like that telling you advice like that you have to take it on board.’
Odusina is also taking inspiration from the likes of Smith Rowe, Saka and James.
‘You’ve played with these people, you’re friends with these people and look what they’re achieving,’ said Odusina, who would occasionally reunite with James during his Fylde spell when the Chelsea defender was on loan at nearby Wigan.
Saturday’s cup tie is guaranteed to be a memorable occasion for the 22-year-old defender
‘I use it as a massive source of inspiration to push on and try and accomplish what they’ve already accomplished.’
The Palace tie is an ideal opportunity for Hartlepool’s players to showcase their talents to a wider audience and see how they match up against top-flight stars.
In-form Odusina, who is being watched by a number of Championship clubs, said: ‘If you don’t relish games like that then there are not many games that you will.’
And Palace should be wary as Hartlepool have enjoyed their FA Cup occasions this season, beating two League One teams and Championship Blackpool to reach round four.
Odusina said: ‘We’ve done very well against the teams from higher leagues. It suits us a bit more because we like to get the ball down and play football and teams in the leagues above you like to do that as well.
‘With our momentum in the competition, we wholeheartedly believe we can go there and cause an upset. It’s not a pipe dream.
‘You see it every year, there’s a team that does that [shocks a Premier League team] so we’re hoping this will be our year and our chance to do that.’