Love-hate relationship for Baxter

Jose Baxter: for 90 minutes, not an Anfield fan

FOR one day only, Jose Baxter will hate the team he loves.

Athletic’s talisman striker is counting down the hours to Sunday’s confrontation with Liverpool, the club he idolised as a boy and one he has supported ever since.

But those allegiances will go out of the window for 90 minutes when Baxter attempts to knock the Merseyside giants out of the FA Cup.

“It’s mad really,” he said, “because I sit at home watching them and love them, but when I pulled on an Everton top or wear an Oldham shirt I hate them!”

Not that Baxter has so far had chance to prove the point.

“I have been on the bench and participated in (Liverpol defender) Jamie Carragher’s testimonial at Anfield, but I have never played in a competitive game against them.”

All that will change at Boundary Park on Sunday

“I will be a massive day for me. We will have our home crowd behind us, Mansfield gave them a good game (in the last round) and if we can get an early goal, who knows?”