NEAL Bishop has urged the fans to be York City's 12th man when the Minstermen line up against Oxford United today.
The 25-year-old midfielder is hoping a win against the Us will cap one of his best weeks in football - securing City a Conference play-off spot after being selected for the England National Game XI squad to play in a four nations tournament in Scotland.
Bishop, who joined City from Scarborough in January 2006, revealed he had no idea he had been picked for the squad and believed he was the victim of a wind-up from his friends when they told him the good news.
But all thoughts of England have been put to one side today as City strive to take another step back to the Football League's promised land. And Bishop says the players are confident they can go all the way.
"I was over the moon to be selected for England," he said. "My mates saw it before me and I thought they were winding me up. I couldn't be happier and, at this non-League level, this the highest level at which you can represent your country. Fingers crossed I will have played in the play-off final before it.
"We have prepared for Oxford like we have for any other game and the lads are very relaxed and fairly confident. We have got to go for the win. It would be dangerous to play for the draw. It is going to be difficult but we have got the belief that we can get a win."
Bishop said he couldn't wait to perform in front of a KitKat Crescent crowd which is expected to hit the 5,000 mark - but while he said the fans could make the difference, he also urged them to be patient.
"This is the type of game I love to play in," added Bishop. "The bigger the game the better it is. I want to play in front of lots of people and I can't wait for it. The nerves might kick in this morning but I am quietly confident.
"The fans can be the 12th man. To hear them can really pick you up as a player because you want it as much as they do. It is going to be a special atmosphere and hopefully we can get what we all want.
"They have to be patient. It's a 90 minute game and things might not start all that well. The worst thing you can have is people getting on your back.
"Our destiny is in our own hands. We will get the result and, once you get into the play-offs, you have to be confident that you can go all the way back into the league."
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