THE Carling Cup is not the only trophy Kevin Nolan has his sights on this season.
The young midfielder has not only played a major role in helping Wanderers reach their first major final for nine years, but he has also been hitting top note on the touchline, cheering on his favourite Sunday League side, who are playing for some silverware of their own.
Never mind Liverpool, where he was born and brought up and where he still lives, Kevin's favourite team after Wanderers is Nicosia FC, who play in the Liverpool Business House League, and who play tomorrow in the semi-finals of the Carlsberg-sponsored FA Sunday Cup.
He grew up watching his father, Kevin, turn out for "The Nics" and his fondest memory is, as an eight-year-old, watching his dad Kevin Snr and his three uncles win the FA Sunday Cup in 1991.
"They were my team," he said. "That's who I supported, not a big club. It was my dad's team for so long that all the family grew up with Nicosia."
He even carried on supporting the team after his father hung up his boots. His uncle Stephen still plays for the club but that was something young Kevin never got to do because he was snapped up by Wanderers at the age of 15.
But he gets a lot of satisfaction from supporting the club -- and not just vocally. He bought the team's kit five years ago, when they hit on hard times, and has promised to buy a new set if they get to the final, which will be played at Anfield.
He has not missed any of their FA Sunday Cup matches this season and will be at Witton Albion tomorrow to see The Nics take on Hull League side, Prestige Brighams in the quarter-finals.
"After our game against Charlton, that will be all I will be talking about," he said. "It's a big game and I'm really looking forward to it."
"It would be great for Nicosia to get to the final, especially with it being played at Anfield.
"If I were to give them any advice before tomorrow's game it would just be to make themselves lucky and to give it 100 per cent so they don't come off the pitch disappointed in their own game.
"If each player does that then they have got a good chance of winning."
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