Newport County v Man U: Will v Eric

When Newport County take on the once mighty Manchester United tomorrow (Sunday) in the FA Cup, you can expect a large part of the Llanfyllin area to be glued to their TV sets.

The tie has thrown up an intriguing local flavour with County’s star attacker, Will Evans (right), and United’s assistant coach, Eric Ramsay (below), both being past pupils from Ysgol Llanfyllin.

Evans, 27, from Llangedwyn, has been with County since switching from Bala in the semi-professional Cymru Premier in 2022, becoming a mainstay in the line-up since.

Ramsay went down the coaching root at a young age and has built a strong reputation in the game, joining the United senior coaching team in 2021 at the age of just 29.

Pupils have been told there could be a special assembly on Monday with both former pupils possibly making a video appearance, but in the run-up to the game, Deputy Head and PE teacher Llyr Thomas, has shared his memories of both with us.

“Both were excellent students whilst at Llanfyllin,” he said. Their hard work and commitment were obvious to see very early on, especially when it came to developing their skills in sport.

“They were an inspiration to others, as gifted footballers, as hard workers and as leaders. They were the first to be changed for PE lessons and always attending extra-curricular clubs at lunchtimes and after school.

“Arguably their best trait is that they are both genuinely nice individuals, and it is no surprise to see them doing so well. We are very proud of them both at Ysgol Llanfyllin.”