Man United fan and in his spare time, their executioner

Grimsby Town’s goalkeeper Christy Pym confessed he was “half fuming” after helping dump out the very club he supports, as Manchester United suffered a dramatic penalty shootout exit at Blundell Park.

The 30-year-old, a lifelong United fan, emerged as one of the unlikely heroes in a thriller that saw League Two’s Mariners topple Ruben Amorim’s 400 million euros squad 12-11 on spot-kicks — an upset that will go down as one of the greatest in League Cup history.

"Yeah, it hasn't really sunk in yet," Pym told Sky Sports after the match. "I'm a United fan myself so I'm half fuming a little bit. But nights like this are what you play football for, so yeah, beautiful."

The evening had begun disastrously for United, with Andre Onana culpable for both early goals. Charles Vernam sneaked the opener inside his near post before a misjudged flap at a cross left Tyrell Warren with the simplest of finishes to make it 2-0.

Amorim responded at half-time, throwing on fresh legs, and his side clawed their way back. Bryan Mbeumo netted his first strike since a 71 milion euros switch from Brentford, and Harry Maguire’s late header in the 89th minute forced penalties.

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From there, the tension was unbearable. With the shootout balanced at 4-4, Pym guessed right to deny 55 milion euros summer arrival Matheus Cunha — a save that proved pivotal. “I should have done a little bit better, shouldn’t I?” Pym admitted. “Yesterday me and the goalkeeping coach Steve sat down for a good hour going through penalties, just in case. It kept changing, it was a bit frustrating, but I saved one, kept us in it, and then the boys did the rest. They were brilliant.”

For Grimsby Town, it was a night that will be remembered for decades. For Pym, the United fan who stood in their way, it was a surreal chapter in a story that felt almost too unlikely to be true.