Crystal Palace's Wickham opens up on soldier dad ahead of march out at Wembley vs Man Utd
THE FATHER and son relationship that bonds Connor Wickham and his dad Stefan has been the mainstay of the Crystal Palace strikers devotion to doing right by his family.
Connor Wickham bagged Crystal Palace's winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Watford
The son of an Army serjeant major, Wickham is striving to make his father even more proud of him than if he was beside him in the heat of warfare.
But he chose football rather than be a fighting man, with no wish to become a professional soldier and follow in his father's footsteps.
He said: "I would not want to do it to my family. It takes something incredible within yourself to go to war.
"To go to the front line carrying a gun and being in the shooting line of someone else, and trying to make this country a safer place.
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Wickham said: "I grew up in the Army and my father lost a few friends in various wars, but it has made me the man I am today.
"Dad will be at Wembley he has not missed a game throughout my career, even when he was in Iraq and then he managed to stream the games.
"He is my number one critic and my biggest fan. Apart from the managers I've had, I will never listen to an opinion as much as I do his. When we won the semi-final against Watford he nearly cried.
"He always give me an honest opinion, and that's what matters because he will give me a hug and not let me get too down.
"I give my family all my sponsorship money, everything I earn out of football goes to Mum and Dad. They still look after me to be honest, when I was financially able to, I bought them a house."