Our Assistant Coach helped us look ahead to Wednesday night's clash in Burslem as the Reds enter the knockout stages of this year's competition.
Born in Stoke, raised as a player with Stoke City before making his first team debut with the Potters and eventually spending a brief spell at Port Vale at the tail-end of his playing career, it's safe to say this evening's clash has added spice for Martin Paterson.
The 35-year-old joined the Reds coaching staff following the appointment of his former Burnley teammate Michael Duff as Head Coach this summer, and 'Pato' tells us he's looking forward to going back to his hometown for this one.
"Obviously, I was lucky enough to come through the Stoke City academy and I actually played very briefly for Vale before I left for America. I'm a Stoke City fan, through and through. So I want to beat Port Vale for sure!
"But, I'm from Stoke-on-Trent and I love my area. And I think it's good to have two clubs in the city. So as much as I don't want Port Vale to beat Stoke, and I certainly don't want them to beat us, there's no ill-feeling from me towards Vale.
"They're a good side, they're very strong and they compete. We met them here earlier in the season and both sides had chances to win the game, so we know what they're all about and what to expect in this one."
Now that the competition enters the knockout stages, Paterson accepts that it won't be quite the 'youthful' looking lineup it's been in previous fixtures.
The Reds see this as an opportunity to get minutes into the legs of players who aren't featuring as regularly in the league, whilst also knowing that just a few more wins equals a trip to the home of football.
"We include our younger players in training on a daily basis." The former Northern Ireland international explained. "They're part of the group and of everything we do. As a staff, and as a football club, we develop and create pathways for our exciting, emerging young talent.
"Even in the league games, we have a young side!
"But in the Papa John's we have tended to lean towards the even younger elements of the group and they've done very well.
"We've taken the competition seriously and so far we've got out of it what we wanted. We've approached it from day one with the mindset that this is the best opportunity of getting to play at Wembley.
"We are in good recent form in the league and for us, in terms of momentum and rhythm, it's important that we maintain that so I expect that we'll go into this game with a strong starting lineup."
