Shaw looks to hit the headlines by Holt-ing the Canaries

Target man Jon Shaw is looking forward to trying to outgun former team-mate Grant Holt when then pair go head-to-head at Carrow Road on Saturday, writes Mark Wood.

The pair were both young strikers at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in their career and Shaw has nothing but respect for the way former Barrow striker Holt has progressed to become a Premier League hosthot.

But Shaw will be hoping to steal Holt’s thunder and the headlines as Town bid to progress to the fifth round of the world’s premier cup competition.

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Shaw said: “I played with Grant Holt at Sheffield Wednesday. I was there as a youth player and turned pro and we brought him from Barrow, who are in our league now, and who weren’t even in our league back then.

“And we were good friends then because again he was a young player coming out of non-league and I was just a young player.

“To see what he’s done in his career has been amazing because I don’t think many would have seen him becoming what he has done.

“He’s done wonders. Worked really hard back then, he’s a great lad, I’m really happy for what he’s done.

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“I would love to say that (I’m going to overshadow Holt) but I’m not so sure.

“He’s got a knack of grabbing the headlines himself. He’s a great lad, hopefully I get to see him at the game and maybe his shirt is already mine.”

The pair had shared some messages on Twitter before the game, and Shaw’s looking forward to seeing his old friend.

“We’ve both got young families and we both look after them first and foremost,” he said.

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“We’re both looking forward to the match and, like I say, first and foremost I can’t wait to see him.”

Battle-scarred veteran Shaw is certainly living up to the old-fashioned target man image.

He was involved in a clash of heads in the 1-0 win over Wolves in the previous round of the FA Cup and played most of the match with a bandaged head as a result of the four stitches he had inserted into his eyebrow.

Those scars are still evident, while he would also have had to play through the pain barrier had Tuesday night’s game against Lincoln City gone ahead after having more stitches put into a foot injury.

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Shaw continued: “It’s been a rough month. They are all alright now. The foot’s a bit sore but that’s what happens when you kick the bottom of somebody’s boot I suppose.

“But the stitches are all out of everywhere and I’m nice and healed, just looking a bit battled wearied I think.

“I was ready to play (against Lincoln). I think probably with some sort of numbing injection or something to take a bit of the ache away.

“It’s just a knock on your foot, you play with them all day and get them in training regular so I would have got on with it.”

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And now he’s relishing the chance to take on Premier League Norwich, saying: “I think everyone can’t wait for it.

“Again, we play under a lot of pressure in our league being the team that everyone wants to beat and we want to get promoted.

“So to come and play against Norwich, the pressure’s on them, and we can just go out and enjoy it for what it is, which is probably a position in the FA Cup where not many of us have been before.

“It’s one of them where as a player you like playing under pressure at certain times.

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“But sometimes it can heap on and there’s a lot at this club, everyone knows that.

“And as players, especially the older ones like myself, we’ve got to keep the younger ones away from that, and try and tell them not to listen too much to what’s said and just concentrate on your own game.

“We’re at the stage of the season where we know we’re at a point where we have to kick on in the league.

“To have a little break away from it and not be the favourites, to be the underdogs, it’s a nice feeling to have.”

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Shaw, 29, enjoyed a glamorous cup run with Burton Albion as they took Manchester United to a replay, but he like many of his team-mates is looking to progress into the uncharted territory of the fifth round.

“This is as far as I’ve played personally,” he said. “I think when I was younger, breaking into the team at Sheffield Wednesday, I think we got further on.

“But I wasn’t really a part of it and you just see it as a fan at that age. So personally actually playing this is as far as I’ve ever been.

“Getting to the third round and playing Man United was fantastic, but I think this is more of an achievement.

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“Fourth round, we’ve got past some big clubs and we’re just enjoying it.”

And having played against the Red Devils Shaw knows just how rarely these chances to test yourself against the best come around.

Shaw said: “We (Burton) got to the third round, played them twice and that’s it since then.

“Last year we (Gateshead) were a bit unlucky, we lost on a last minute goal to Tamworth who went on to play Everton.

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“It’s a little bit like the Trophy scenario where I’ve almost but never really got there.

“And again with the FA Cup I had to come off early, so hopefully no repeat of that at Norwich.

“I’ve been a player who has been at this standard pretty much the whole of my career.

“Even when I’ve just flirted a bit higher up, you’re very lucky to get to these stages.

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“To get to the third round and to draw the big team, it’s something that might only ever happen to you once and to a lot of players it probably never happens.

“So you have got to take the most out of it and really enjoy it and try not to let it pass you by.”

And Shaw’s taking heart from Bradford’s brilliant League Cup run which saw the League Two team progress to the final this week after ditching Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

On whether Luton could follow suit, he said: “I don’t see why not. Again you can’t build on it too much and say look at this because we’re not going there expecting to win.

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“We’re going there to enjoy it, to give a good account of ourselves and stranger things have happened.

“For that to happen the other night where they’ve gone down to Villa and held their own, especially in the second half, and you just think they’re only a league above us.

“So there’s not too much difference. And I’m sure if we played against Bradford we’d feel like we could give them a game.

“On your night, on the day, you never know what could happen.”

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Luton’s strikers have bagged more than 40 goals between them this term and he believes that stat could cause the Canaries some concern.

Shaw added: “They’re a professional team and Chris Hughton as you can see from the jobs he’s done before is a very professional manager.

“I’m sure he’s had us looked at and I’m sure people like Andre (Gray) will give him a few worries.

“I’m sure he’ll be telling his defenders all about how we play and that’s just down to them being professional.

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“They won’t want us coming down there and upsetting them and we’ve got to go there and do our best to upset them.

“I’m sure they’ll look at us and say they score goals and they’ve got an aerial threat, but whether they’re worried or not who knows?”

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