NOTTINGHAM FOREST defender Harry Toffolo revealed he drank SIX pickle juices to fight off cramp on his first league appearance since December.
It worked as his amazing goal-line clearance helped to a crucial 2-1 win at which very much keeps their Champions League dream alive.
It is a dream that the former Lincoln City defender is hellbent on achieving – to satisfy both his and sons’ ambitions for the full-back to play in Europe’s elite club competition for real.
Toffolo, 29, said: “Some of us might never get the opportunity again to qualify for the Champions League and play Champions League football.
“I was playing League Two football five or six years ago, so to be in this position now is incredible and it gives you that extra incentive.
“I have the pressure of my boys at home saying ‘We need Champions League, dad!”;
“He’s always telling me on his career mode (on FC25) that he’s got Champions League already, so he’s one up on me!”;
Forest raced into a two-goal lead at Spurs thanks to early goals from and .
But they survived a late onslaught from Tottenham, in part thanks to a stunning volley off the line from Toffolo to deny ’s goal-bound header in the second half.
It was Toffolo’s first league start all season and his first appearance in any competition since a 2-2 draw at Exeter in the FA Cup on February 11.
Understandably, it led to some painful cramp for which Toffolo went over the usual amount of pickle juice – – to keep himself going.
Toffolo described himself as “absolutely knackered”; in an entertaining exchange with Sky after the game, explaining: “They give you this special pickle juice. It’s supposed to stop cramp, but it didn’t.
“You normally have one or two and I took about six!
“I might possibly go and throw up in a minute because all I can taste is pickle in my mouth!
“I never knew I could get my leg that high (for the clearance). That’s where the cramp started to happen!”;
Third-placed Forest have five “cup finals”; to go to ensure they finish in the top five and make the Champions League.
But first they have an actual semi-final in the against this weekend.
Former and man Toffolo added: “I think already we’ve achieved so much as a group. But we’re a group that want more, that’s just the way we are as people.
“The recruitment team have found a group of players and put them together and they work in tandem with each other. It’s fantastic.
“We’re excited, we’re looking forward to the big day (the FA Cup semi-final). We’re not nervous, we’ll take it to City, we’re looking forward to it.
“The manager I’m sure is going to come up with a gameplan that executes it well.
“We’ve done well against them at home getting the three points. They’re not going to want to play us either. It should be an unbelievable day.”;
