Yasin Ben El-Mhanni made his Newcastle United debut in front of almost 40,000 people in a 3-1 FA Cup win over Birmingham City in 2017.
On Saturday, he’ll walk out in front of Arbroath’s biggest crowd of the season with over 3,000 expected at Gayfield for the Scottish Cup visit of Motherwell.
But no matter how many are watching, crowd-pleaser Yasin treats every game like it’s his final 90 minutes.
Yasin has made a superb impact since joining Lichties in January with two goals and three assists in his first three games.
Two goals in 3 games for Yasin Ben El-Mhanni whose cross evaded everyone and found the corner of the net! pic.twitter.com/Hde1X6LSIu
— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) January 15, 2023
And he can’t wait to show what he can do against Scottish Premiership side Well.
“There’s something special about cup ties,” said Yasin.
“I made my Newcastle debut in the FA Cup in a 3-1 win over Birmingham in front of almost 40,000.
“It’s a day I’ll never forget. When Rafa Benitez told me I was starting it felt like a surreal moment.
“Every time I got on the ball the crowd were screaming my name and the adrenaline buzz you get from that is amazing.
“That stadium is beautiful and I’ll always be grateful to Newcastle for the opportunity to play for them.
“But it doesn’t matter how many people are watching.
“Whether it’s a few thousand or 40,000 the roars from the crowd inspire you.
“I treat every single game I play like it’s my last one. You don’t know what will happen next.
“I play the same way I would in front of tens of thousands as I would ten people.
“There’s always someone on the sidelines watching, wanting your place so I want to make sure I’ve given my all in every game.”
Yasin Ben El-Mhanni: Arbroath fans are amazing
Ben El-Mhanni has quickly become an Arbroath fans favourite with his silky skills.
The two-footed winger has settled in well both on and off the pitch after moving to the Angus town.
“The fans have been amazing with me,” added El-Mhanni.
“They’ve really made me feel welcome.
“I went to do a few quiet laps at the local swimming pool the other day and met some.
“A group of around ten or 15 schoolkids started chanting my name as soon as I got in the pool.
“I wanted to do some quiet laps but didn’t want to be rude so I said hello!
“Arbroath is a lovely club. I’ve been to a few places and this is right up there.
“There’s a real family atmosphere here and we are all in this together.
“Everyone seems excited I’m here and are doing everything they can to try and help me.
“It’s been a difficult season but we are all fighting together with an end goal to be successful.”
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