Portsmouth's ex-Arsenal youngster Christian Burgess ready for Emirates FA Cup classic

The Emirates FA Cup fifth round is on the horizon and will kick off with Portsmouth hosting Arsenal - but there's a little bit more to it than meets the eye for Christian Burgess. 

The Pompey defender spent time in the Gunners' academy as a youngster but was released at a critical point in his development before going on to be rejected by both Tottenham Hotspur and the club he supports; West Ham United.

It ended up being a long and winding path, involving university and non-League football, that eventually led him to making it as a professional - something at one stage he never thought possible. 

But Burgess is not begrudging of his arduous route into the game and claims he learned a lot from the early years he spent at Arsenal's academy.

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Circa 2001 (L to R): Christian Burgess, Jack Wilshere, Tony Boyle, Thomas Phipp, Terry Monk

"I joined Arsenal when I was about seven years old and then got released when I was 11 or 12, which is obviously still very young," Burgess told TheFA.com. 

"You're impressionable at that age and I took it really hard. It crushed me as a kid because Arsenal was all I really knew in football and when I was released, I thought that it was all over. 

"We used to beat everyone - I was playing with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Emmanuel Frimpong and Luke Ayling but I was the one that didn't make it. 

"I learned a philosophy of football while I was there which I've carried with me throughout my career - the Arsene Wenger-way transcended down into the academy and that was a great thing for me."

Burgess' first chance to play in the professional game came at the relatively late age of 20, when he was studying at Birmingham University and Middlesbrough came calling for his services with the offer of a trial. 

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The centre-back spent two years on Teesside before making a loan-switch to Peterborough United permanent, where he stayed for just one year until the chance to move to Fratton Park emerged. 

This was another learning curve for the Barking man, but instead of altering his football philosophies, it gave him a deeper feeling of gratuity for the opportunities that had come his way. 

"When I got released I went straight to West Ham - which is where I'm from and my whole family supports them - but I got released from there after a year so that was another blow. 

"After that I played some Sunday league football, a bit of reserve-team football too but if I'm honest I thought that was my chance to play professionally gone. 
I decided to go and get a degree and thought I might be able to play non-League football on the side. 

"Then Middlesbrough gave me a chance and I went from playing university football to making my debut at Hillsborough in front of 32,000 people, including my friends and family.

"That felt completely surreal and it's made me appreciate everything in my career that has happened since then."

Since moving to the south coast in 2015, Burgess has made a home for himself at Fratton Park and picked up silverware winning League Two in 2017 before lifting the EFL Trophy after a dramatic final at Wembley last year. 

The 28-year-old's biggest FA Cup moment came in his first season with the 2008 winners, as they went out in the fourth round to Bournemouth by losing 2-1 at home with Burgess substituted after an hour with his side leading. 

Now there is no doubt in his mind that the clash with Arsenal is likely to be one the most memorable moments of his career and fans will be hoping that Burgess can replicate the goalscoring form that saw them past Barnsley in the last round. 

"My relationship with the FA Cup goes way back - I remember watching West Ham lose the Final in 2006 while I was on a school trip to the Isle of Wight but I was at Villa Park for the semis which was an amazing day," he said. 

"As a player, the Arsenal game will by far be the biggest Cup tie I've ever participated in, that's for sure. 

"The team was travelling on the coach when the draw was made and we were absolutely buzzing with it and I can't wait to play them now.

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Sol Campbell played in the team that beat Portsmouth 5-1 in the 2004 quarter-final and went on to lift the FA Cup with Pompey in 2008

"Luckily, I think our fans are realistic about our current situation but of course they remember the 2008 win and 2010 run so they've got a recent history with the competition as well. 

"Under the lights at Fratton Park - I think the game will probably be one of best I'm likely to experience in my career."