"We want to enjoy ourselves by giving Tottenham a good game."
The FA Cup third round took place and one of the standout ties was Tamworth FC and Tottenham Hotspur, where Jas Singh was in goal for the National League side.
In addition to being the goalkeeper, Singh is the captain of Tamworth.
It was already an eventful weekend for Jas Singh, whose son was born the night before the match.
Before the match, the 34-year-old revealed:
“My partner gave birth to my son last night so hopefully, they’re watching in hospital this morning.”
Singh explained that his newborn has not even been named yet before detailing what the match means for Tamworth.
He said: “It’s just history really, it’s a historic day for everyone involved. Hopefully, the players can do us justice and put in a performance.
“It’s only a good day if we put in a performance really. We’ve said that against Huddersfield, against Burton.
“We don’t want to come here and get turned over.
“We want to enjoy ourselves by giving Tottenham a good game.”
Tamworth had one game to prepare for Tottenham and Jas Singh admitted that if Ange Postecoglou’s side are at their best, “man for man, they’re better than us”.
He added: “But hopefully, one or two have an off day and we’ll see what happens.”
Considered the father figure of the team, Jas Singh was the hero in the FA Cup second round as they defeated local rivals Burton Albion on penalties, with the goalkeeper saving two.
He said: “To save two, in a derby, in the second round of the Cup, made it sweeter.
“The biggest thing to come out of this Cup run has been the realisation that I’m almost living all the childhood dreams of friends and family.”
Jas Singh is of South Asian heritage, a demographic that is too sparse in English football, but he stated that South Asian players are being taken “more seriously now”.
He explained: “There are more opportunities and I think there are more people looking at players from our community and clubs are broadening their horizons.”
Although there are more British South Asian footballers, there is still racism and Singh revealed he has been abused.
“Being a goalkeeper, you do get remarks because you’re often the closest to the fans, so goalkeepers seem to get the majority of the stick, especially in non-league, where they’re really on top of you.
“That is slowly, slowly going out of the game.
“In my career, I’ve probably only had one or two seasons where I haven’t been racially abused.”
“I think it’s getting better, with people understanding more about people’s cultures and things like that.”
Many of the Tamworth FC players have regular jobs and Jas Singh is no different.
When he is not in goal, he is a building surveyor by trade.
He said: “I’m a building surveyor, so a couple of days a week I’m on the road, around Stoke, towards Worcester.
“If you had an insurance claim from a leak, fire or frozen pipe and your property was damaged, we go out and survey your building and get the property back to how it was before.
“I don’t get my tools out, I’m in shoes and shirt … Our No 9, Dan Creaney, is a labourer – he’ll do anything he can get his hands on.”
Jas Singh put on an incredible display, making some vital saves to take the game to extra time.
But Tamworth’s inspiring resistance was eventually broken and Tottenham won 3-0.
After the match, Singh said: “We have a lot of frustration.
“When we sit back later we should be proud. We have taken a top-six team to extra time.
“The scrappiest goal they are going to score [for the first goal]. The boys are unbelievable and we had chances, that’s the frustrating thing.
“They are such great footballers. It shows the difference with the elite level and semi-professional.”
On X, netizens were full of praise for Jas Singh.
One wrote: “What a weekend he’s having.”
Another said: “What a special weekend for Jas Singh, celebrating both a new arrival and football success!”
A third added: “Jas Singh has been fantastic in goal for Tamworth.
“Representing the South Asian community.”