Plenty of former players would say they feel more nervous watching big games rather than playing in them, but that is not the case for Marlon Harewood - not that he remembers the biggest game of his Nottingham Forest career.
Harewood celebrated wildly at home when Brennan Johnson scored the second goal at Sheffield United on Saturday before seeing footage of his former strike partner David Johnson going even crazier in the stand behind the goal with 3,000 Forest fans. It was a wonderful moment for the Johnson family, 19 years on from when David and Marlon led the line for Forest in their heart-breaking play-off semi-final defeat at Bramall Lane.
Forest lost that game 4-3 in extra-time after Des Walker's own goal, but Harewood had been replaced after an hour following a blow to the head with the visitors well on track. He woke up believing Forest had gone through and even now he feels that team should have gone up. In fact, he feels Paul Hart's team was better than Steve Cooper's current crop, but he is backing Cooper's team to go all the way to the Premier League.
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"It's more nerve wracking playing! I got knocked out in that game," he said on the latest Garibaldi Red podcast. "Next day I couldn't remember anything. I woke up thinking we'd got promoted! I didn't realise Des had scored the own goal.
"Me and Jonno were flying at the time. I just assumed we were getting ready for the next game. Anyway, it's definitely more nerve wracking than supporting. I'm just hoping they get to the final. I know once they get there they can do it. They've been fantastic this year and I know they can carry it on. It will be an unbelievable achievement if they go up.
"The manager gets absolutely massive praise from me for what he's achieved. They've got a really good togetherness and they deserve this. There's similarities (between the teams), but our team back then, we were really good. Harty did really well with what he had. Me and Johnno scored over 50 goals between us.
"That's saying something in the Championship. The players around us gave us chances left, right and centre. I remember I scored four goals in a half one half. They made me and Jonno look good. I definitely think our team was better than the one now."
On paper, Forest hold a massive advantage going into the second leg. This is Forest and the play-offs though. Even beyond 2003, the play-offs have been nothing but awful for the Reds, with defeats to Yeovil, Swansea and Blackpool following. Harewood insists any negative thoughts should be purged from the minds of nervous supporters as he remains confident Forest will go through to the final at Wembley.
He said: "Don't have that thought! You're killing it already before it's started! It's time for positivity. Forest haven't been in this situation for a long time. It's the time with the way he's got them playing. Things happen for a reason and they just need to get over the line. I don't see a player in the team who doesn't love occasions like this. They thrive on it.
"This is where they want to be. I don't think there's a player who won't be thinking positively. Sheffield United will come out. They can't sit on the game. Forest will pin them back and close them down. I'm hoping Forest will exploit those spaces when Sheffield United attack."
