David Raven felt the time had gone.
Acceptance his career was winding down, the bright lights of glories past now heart-warming memories to regale future generations with.
Then along came this FA Cup run with Marine, a team from Merseyside in the eighth tier of English football, and a dream third round tie with Tottenham Hotspur.
For Raven, the man who gave Caley Thistle fans a day they will never forget in 2015, every moment is being drunk in.
“I left work earlier, got home about 7pm and went on LFC TV while the draw was happening. My wife and my little girl were down watching it. I couldn’t believe it when Tottenham were drawn out of the hat.
Spurs at home 👀
16 years ago I made my professional debut at White Hart Lane and won, for this to come around again at this point in my career is astonishing. Can’t wait!! #FACup— David Raven (@davidraven131) November 30, 2020
“It was just unthinkable. I thought my career had gone, had fizzled out. To get this now is like you’re back on the map a little bit again.
“I’m 35 playing in the eighth tier. I’m working full-time, playing part-time. It’s just what happens with footballers. These guys who announce their retirement – it doesn’t happen at our level. You retire when football retires you.
“I had accepted it and it was sort of sad. You come to the end and think ‘well I’m not going to do this any more’. So for this to come along, I’m just milking every experience I can get from it.”
Following the 1-0 win over Havant and Waterlooville at the weekend, messages and well-wishes have flooded in. It has reconnected the 35-year-old with figures from his long career which saw him traverse the lower leagues with Carlisle United, Shrewsbury and Tranmere Rovers before becoming a cult hero in the Highlands.
It also represents a surreal full-circling of his career. Raven made his debut in a man-of-the-match performance against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the Carabao Cup, as part of a youthful Liverpool side.
“I do wonder are these things meant to be sometimes? My debut was down at White Hart Lane and for this to come round at this stage of my career, it’s blown my mind.
“The game was a bit of a blur. They had (Michael) Carrick, Ledley King, Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe – some top players. Paul Robinson was in goal. I was super nervous for 15-20 minutes then settled into the game.
“I wanted the game to go on and on. I was gutted when extra-time finished. We had a bit of a gang mentality because we were close off the pitch, which helped us on it. We had the likes of Stephane Henchoz and Igor Biscan playing, with the experience that pulled us through.”
This iteration of Spurs from the one 16 years ago is a much more fearsome beast. But talk of matching up against Son Heung-Min, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale bring a wry smile to the defender’s face.
“They don’t know about my deceptive pace, do they? I’m going to enjoy it. Gareth Bale has four Champions Leagues – you can only do what you can.
“I’m not as fit, as strong or as sharp as them but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I’ll put everything on the line and see where it takes me.
“I always remember John Hughes saying ‘if you punch them, they’ll bleed’; they’re human, so we’ll have a go at them.”
His five-and-a-half years in Inverness saw him finish in the top six three times, score a winning goal against Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final and play in Europe.
His “steady Eddie” persona and commitment to the cause made him a popular figure among the club’s supporters before his clipped finish from Graeme Shinnie’s cross at Hampden Park.
“The Inverness fans have been tweeting me good luck, which is lovely that they’re still looking out for me. Little texts do go a long way. When you get something like this and you get a text from someone you’d not heard from in a long time, it reconnects you.
“You’re giving people that moment as well. The amount of people that said to me about the Celtic goal, that it was the best moment of their football lives, blows you away. You’ve given them that feeling. It’s what people dream about when you’re a kid.
Amazing draw mate, your love of a cup run continues 👏🏻 🏆
— James Vincent (@JamesVincent27) November 30, 2020
“I get such a buzz from cup competitions. With cup runs it’s little moments of magic, bursts of energy. You put everything into these little moments and these are what you remember. That’s what I love and live for. Maybe it’s the finality of it that suits me.”
There is little expectation or pressure on Marine to do anything against Spurs but Raven readily admits to being more of a deep-thinker.
This is the game of most of these players’ lives. Even Raven, a man with 17 years in the professional game, has had his excitement rekindled.
“It’s just amazing. I thought it was gone, dead and buried, now I’m speaking about playing Tottenham in a month’s time. There’s a lot more downs in football but you remember the ups.
“It’s going to be the biggest game these lads have played in but it’s the same for me. I’ve been playing football for 17 years, it’s huge.
“It puts smiles on people’s faces. People can dream – what if? It’s about letting people have that little dream.”