Ross Standen took a deep breath, smiled and said: "I expect to be busy."

Standen, who celebrated his 28th birthday earlier this week, is the man who stands between Lewes and an FA Cup humbling.

The big goalkeeper is a certain starter in tomorrow's FA Cup first round tie with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

At 6ft.5in, Standen is bigger than most goalkeepers but that will not be enough to stop an expected onslaught from Stoke's international brigade which features the likes of former Ajax man Peter Hoekstra, Icelandic international Bjarni Gudjohnsson, his compatriot Brynjar Gunnarsson and midfielder Jurgen Vandeurzen, who is on loan from Belgium side Turnhout. He said: "I expect to be busy. It is a dream come true for us. We have just got to go there and enjoy it, the pressure is off us.

"It is a bit daunting because they are good players. Most games this year I only get one or two saves to make because the defence in front of me is awesome. Everyone is up for it. Hopefully everyone can have one of the best games of our career and they can have one of the worst of theirs. We will just be looking to keep it tight."

The occasion will be particularly special for Standen who remembers the dark days at Lewes, having started there as a teenager. He said: "I made my debut when we were second in division one against Dorking years ago on Boxing Day and then in the space of three years we were near the bottom of division three."