Emile's delight with Anfield cup reunion
Perhaps nothing represents the fairytale of the FA Cup better than the opportunity handed to former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey for a potential return to Anfield in late January.
Hours before the Reds had secured their spot in the competition's fourth round by beating AFC Wimbledon, the draw for the next stage had paired the tie's winners with Bolton Wanderers.
Fresh among the Championship side's ranks is the powerful Heskey, who will celebrate his 37th birthday this Sunday, after agreeing to a short-term deal with Neil Lennon's outfit last month.
Fate has now decreed that the man who made 223 appearances and notched 60 goals as a Liverpool player across a four-year spell could be set for a rewarding run-out at the place he once called home.
"It was great, wonderful," was the Englishman's reaction to the draw. "Who would have thought that at 37, I'd be going back to Anfield and having the opportunity to play again?
"Obviously I've got to get into the squad. It's nice, a wonderful feeling. Everyone is buzzing, it's a great tie for the club - to go to one of the best teams in English football and put yourselves up against them.
"There are some young lads here that possibly want to move on to bigger clubs, so you put in good performances against the big sides and you never know."
With his troublesome combination of physical strength and natural speed, Heskey was once a dominant presence for the Reds, not least during the memorable treble campaign of 2000-01.
As recently as November, his steadfast fondness for his old club was in evidence when he laced up his shooting boots to represent a Liverpool legends team in Singapore and find the target.
The unexpected prospect of stepping onto the Anfield turf again is therefore hugely appealing for the forward, who waxed lyrical about the support he received from Kopites.
He added: "I was a supporter before I even played, growing up watching Liverpool and thinking that one day I'd love to play there, then having the opportunity to play there.
"The fans were absolutely magnificent to me for the years that I was there. I've got nothing but fond memories."