You could be forgiven for thinking something out of the ordinary might be powering Kidderminster Harriers’ impressive FA Cup run this season.
Few can deny the Harriers’ march to the Fourth Round has been one of the feel-good stories of the competition thus far.
Already the National League North side have claimed several upsets en route, dumping out both Halifax and Grimsby from the tier above, before eliminating Championship side Reading in a Third Round upset.
Now the Harriers now have a real chance at a true FA Cup giant-killing with West Ham the visitors to Aggborough Stadium on Saturday, as one of their players is eyeing another big-name scalp, with help of his trusted yet strange matchday ritual.
HAVE YOUR SAY : Who will win the FA Cup this season? Let us know in the comments below.
It’s hardly been an orthodox journey for Kidderminster’s Geraldo Bajrami in his football career to date.
Born just two weeks after his parents fled war-torn Kosovo for the UK midlands, it took Bajrami three attempts to force his way into Birmingham’s academy after growing up in nearby Quinton.
Rejected after trials at under 10s and U11s, it wasn’t until U14s that the defender became part of the Blues' group of rising youth stars.
Yet despite making his senior debut alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham, Bajrami’s career has taken him in an alternative direction following his release by the Championship club in the summer.
"You’re not everyone’s cup of tea sometimes," he admits. "Football is a game of opinions, you can have one manager that thinks you’re good enough, he gets sacked, next manager comes in and he thinks you’re the best player in the team."
Bajrami had risen through the Birmingham academy ranks, and was captain for their run to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals at U18s, before going to make a several appearances for the senior side, including in the Championship.
It was during his days in the youth set-up that he became aware of Bellingham, who was consistently being tested in higher age groups.
"I played with him a few times before, he always played up (in age). He was always talented, always far better than the rest of his age group.
"Even when he came up he was still the best, he just needed to be a bit more physical as he was still a bit skinny and smaller than everyone else, but when he was 16 he shot up and did what he did in the Championship."
While Bellingham has since moved on to Borussia Dortmund and the international stage with England, Bajrami's career was dealt a cruel blow with his Birmingham release, though like the start to his connection with the club, it only strengthened his resolve.
"Obviously I was a little bit disappointed, no one wants to hear that your team is going to release you so you’re a bit hurt by that but it happened before so it never affected me that badly.
"I just took it on the chin - there’s no point dwelling on the past. I can move on and say I’m enjoying my football again at Kidderminster and hopefully come up the ranks again."
Bajrami had been sent on loan to Solihull Moors whilst on Birmingham's books, only for Covid to cut the season short before his eventual release.
But he has since become a mainstay in the Kidderminster side and has played a pivotal role in their promotion push and exciting cup run, though he admits that comes with a completely different set of pressures to what he was used to previously.
"It’s different. At academy football here’s not much to lose in the sense that I’ve come to non-league now and there are people with families and kids and they’re playing on Saturday hoping to win to get promoted to get more money for their family.
"They’ve got something on the line to lose so there’s more of an emphasis on winning because you need to, but in an academy you win or lose it’s all about developing."
Asked how he feels about that responsibility, he replied emphatically: "I prefer it. I’ve always been a winner. I always try my best to win. Hopefully we can do that with Kiddie this year."
His side - led by manager Russell Penn - currently sit third in the table, though a win in their game in hand would put them hot on the heels of those leading the pack.
Promotion into the National League remains the ultimate aim, with Bajrami aware Saturday's cup tie may just be a moment to savour.
"We’ve done well to get here," he said. "We’ve played seven games to get to this stage including the replay so it’s just about enjoying the moment.
"No one expected us to reach the second or their round, never mind the fourth, but we’re here now so we’ve just got to enjoy the day and occasion."
Saturday's test against the likes of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen - should they play - will provide Bajrami with a stern test.
Asked how he he feels he will handle the Hammers' attackers, he joked: "Well I’m going to have to adapt quickly aren’t I!
“We’ll just have to see what they're about and make sure I’m about it and the whole team is about it and switched on.
"We’ve just got to concentrate for the whole game as any simple little mistake will cost us because of the quality that they’ve got so we just need to keep our concentration and carry out the tactics the gaffer wants us to.”
Bajrami does hold out hope that lady luck will be on his side, though, as he continues to follow a pre-match tradition - borne from his Albanian heritage - of putting a garlic clove in his sock to "keep the bad eye away".
"Everyone has been laughing about it," he said. "It’s just been a thing that my mum just said keep a garlic in your sock. Just weird superstition but it's stuck with me now, whether it works or not I don’t know, it’s just a funny thing that I do now.
"I’m sure everyone has got their own superstition but me with the garlic is unheard of."
Given Kidderminster's incredible run so far, you'd think there might be something to it, though Bajrami doesn't expect the trend to catch on.
"One lad tried it as well and put a garlic in his sock but it got to half-time and he threw it in the bin. That was a game we lost!"
Bajrami has come up against Bowen previously in his days at Birmingham, and the winger's path is one he eventually hopes to mirror in his own career.
"Loads of players have dropped down to non-league and come back up. Jarrod Bowen is just one of them. As long as I’m keeping faith, I’m not one to easily give up.
"He’s a perfect example who’s come back up the ranks and I’m looking to replicate that."
The fixture - which is live on terrestrial television - is one which has the potential to have an impact on his own career - a fact which Bajrami is aware of, but not something he is thinking too much about.
"It is a shop window, not just for me but for everyone in the team but my thoughts are that I’m playing for Kiddie at the moment and I need to get us out of this league, that’s my job.
"It’s a hard league to get out of, Kiddie have been struggling over the last couple of years but this year is probably one of the best chances we’ll get of getting out of this league and I want to be apart of it."
But what about the prospect of an upset?
"Yeah man, why not? Nobody expected us to beat Reading. We were confident, even against Grimsby and Halifax people thought they would be a problem for us but when they come to our turf we feel we have a good home advantage."
That, and a sock full of garlic...
*Kidderminster vs West Ham kicks off at 12:30pm on Saturday, live on BBC One.
