Wanderers defender Eoin Toal admits the prospect of playing at Wembley this weekend is “surreal”.

The centre-back has become a mainstay in the Bolton side since his first League One start back in December.

Toal also earned a first call up to the Northern Ireland squad for the recent European Championship qualifiers against San Marino and Finland.

The 24-year-old is relishing Sunday’s final against Plymouth, with more than 33,000 tickets already sold from the Wanderers fans.

“We always bring very good support as the fans come in their numbers,” he told The Derry Journal.

"It's definitely fairytale stuff for me. Only a few months ago I was playing in the League of Ireland with Derry and now I have the chance to play at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. It's surreal.

“Since I've been over in Bolton, I've really enjoyed it and now I'm looking forward to going back and preparing for the final."

It has been a long season for Toal, who made several appearances for Derry City prior to his arrival at the UniBol.

The defender still keeps a close eye on his former club, who are currently second in the League of Ireland table.

“I've watched every game to be honest,” he added. "They're doing brilliantly. Obviously, they've been unlucky with a few injuries but I still think they're a real force to be reckoned with.

"I watched them against (Shamrock) Rovers and I thought defensively they were brilliant. They scored two super goals on the counter attack and it was a great result for them.

"As I said, they are still missing a few players but they've got a good mix of everything throughout their squad and I would be absolutely delighted for everyone at the club if they could go on and win the league. I know it's early days but in my opinion they're the best team in Ireland at the moment."

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