Five EFL Stories: 'Arsenal Didn't Bother Us Much'

Cameron Humphreys — Throwback to City youth

Playing Arsenal in the Carabao Cup stirred old memories for Cameron Humphreys, who came through Manchester City's academy. Despite Port Vale's struggles in League One, they pushed Arsenal hard in October and Humphreys felt the tie was closer than the scoreline suggested. "I honestly don't think they bothered us as much as I thought they would," he said, calling the first goal lucky. He also recalls two FA Cup appearances for City in 2015/16 fondly: "It feels like absolute donkey's years ago now... Full stadiums, great atmosphere. It was really exciting and a bit of a throwback for me."

Rob Street — Hunting his ruthless edge again

Rob Street has been a regular for Lincoln City but hasn't matched the goalscoring burst he enjoyed on loan at Doncaster last season, when he hit 12 in 22 as they won League Two. His form has been steady rather than prolific this term, though he did find the net against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. Street pins much of the difference on confidence and a strong dressing-room bond: "When you're on a run and playing well, you almost feel invincible... If we can stick together and keep performing, it can be a similar situation to what it was like at Doncaster. The best thing you can have is belief in yourself."

Tom Barkhuizen — Preston remains his peak years

Now 32 and playing for Barrow, Tom Barkhuizen looks back on 2017–2022 at Preston North End as the best and most enjoyable spell of his career. He admits he only fully appreciated it after leaving: "When you're in your 20s, you're constantly chasing progress and sometimes forget to enjoy it. That was the best five or six years of my career — great team, great manager, great atmosphere." After a difficult final season at Derby, he says regular football at Barrow and a leadership role in the dressing room have revitalised him: "I feel like I've got that here. I've started every game since the first of the season, and I'm trying to be a leader off the pitch and help us progress."

Jack Lankester — Staying with the squad kept the buzz alive

A long injury lay-off after joining Crewe Alexandra could have been isolating for Jack Lankester, but he chose to travel with the team to preserve the matchday feeling. "I spoke to the gaffer about it because it keeps the buzz of the game alive," he explains. Being present, supporting teammates and bringing energy on matchdays helped his recovery and mindset: "Staying at home and watching on TV would've made me feel worse." Now 25, Lankester says moving away to Crewe and sharing life with teammates has helped him mature off the pitch as well.

Jamie Walker — Playing on while planning a coaching future

Jamie Walker, who still contributes on the pitch for Grimsby Town, is already preparing for life after playing with a coaching project in Bradford and a newly completed B Licence. "As I've got older, I've started thinking about what comes after football," he says. He enjoys passing on knowledge to youngsters and plans to grow the initiative. Walker also follows Hearts closely — his son is a fan — and he hopes the Scottish club, where he began his career, can build on a strong start to the season: "They've signed good players and have a strong manager, so hopefully this is the year they achieve something special."

Saturday's EFL fixtures

All matches are live on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports app, with free highlights available on the Sky Sports app shortly after full-time. Unless stated, kick-offs are at 3pm.

League One

• Burton vs Blackpool
• Leyton Orient vs Exeter
• Lincoln vs Doncaster
• Luton vs Rotherham
• Port Vale vs Wycombe

League Two

• Accrington vs Bristol Rovers
• Bromley vs Barrow
• Cambridge vs Barnet
• Fleetwood vs Swindon
• Grimsby vs Chesterfield
• MK Dons vs Salford
• Notts County vs Harrogate
• Oldham vs Crewe
• Shrewsbury vs Newport
• Tranmere vs Cheltenham
• Walsall vs Colchester
• Gillingham vs Crawley (5.30pm)