Former Oxford United stars Jamie Cook and Dannie Bulman are set for one of the biggest games of their careers when Crawley Town take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday night (5.15).

The pair can’t wait to line up for the Blue Square Premier Bet high-fliers against the likes of Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov in the FA Cup fifth-round tie.

Crawley will be roared on by up to 10,000 travelling fans. And Cook, from Witney, said: “It is going to be brilliant. It is what you want to do as a professional footballer – play against the best.

“It is an opportunity to do that and an opportunity to cherish.

“Obviously it is really exciting. We have had a great run in the league, confidence is high, the form is good and we are looking forward to it.”

Bulman, like Cook will be playing at Old Trafford for the first time, and is just as thrilled by the prospect.

“When the draw came out it was a bit of a surreal moment,” said the 32-year-old midfielder.

“We are used to getting lower league teams, but to pick out Man Utd sent shivers down your spine.”

Cook recalled the FA Cup fourth-round ties for Oxford against Chelsea in 1999 as his previous biggest games.

The U’s went out 4-2 in a replay at Stamford Bridge after being held to a 1-1 draw at the Manor Ground when referee Mike Reid awarded the Blues a controversial late penalty.

But Cook remembers the tie for different reasons “Someone missed a sitter after about 70 minutes which would have made it 2-0 – and that was me,” admitted the 31-year-old striker.

Bulman has played in a bigger game, being in the Wycombe team who went down 2-1 to Liverpool in the last four of the 2001 FA Cup at Villa Park.

“It was the semi-final and we were just a little League One team,” he said. “We didn’t have a great side, but we had a lot of belief.”

Crawley have already claimed the scalps of Swindon Town, Derby County and Torquay United on the way to the last 16.

And Cook is not ruling out another giant-killing.

“Realistically we have got to go there and enjoy the day, but as professional footballers we have got to go there and believe we can get a result,” he said.

Cook didn’t have any particular player he wanted to pit his wits against.

But Bulman is hoping he faces Paul Scholes.

And neither of them claimed to be interested in collecting an opponent’s shirt as a memento at the final whistle. “I will either be celebrating or picking my face up off the floor,” said Bulman.

While Cook added: “I am just worried which one I will be giving mine to.”