TODAY'S FA Cup third round showdown between Burnley and Arsenal means so much to Danny Karbassiyoon, he is travelling halfway round the world to witness it in person.

The American striker is the last footballer to have played for both clubs, before a knee injury cruelly cut short his career.

And the 23-year-old insisted he couldn't miss the opportunity to get his hands on one of the hottest tickets in town.

"When I heard the draw I just laughed and thought how funny it is the way soccer works out sometimes," said Karbassiyoon, who was due to land at Heathrow from Virginia on Friday night, before travelling up to East Lancashire in time for the game.

"I wanted to make sure I could get over to the UK for the game because the likelihood of both my former clubs playing against each other again isn't very high - especially when I still know a good amount of players on both sides.

"I spoke to Philippe Senderos and John Spicer after the draw. Philippe just asked about the pitch and what the stadium and atmosphere was like and Spice pretty much had the fearless bring it on' attitude that seems to be very characteristic of him.

"Of course, part of him was joking, but every footballer has a competitive edge that always gives them hope of winning.

"Arsenal are able to field a tough team, no matter who plays. The belief and confidence amongst the youngsters there is very high, but I think Burnley just have to play the way they are accustomed to playing and go from there.

"It is sometimes more difficult to change the way your team plays to adapt to another team than to just take that same team head on and play your own game."

Karbassiyoon, who has taken on a scouting role for the Gunners in North America since injury forced him into early retirement, still keeps tabs on events at Turf Moor, where he spent a season after being signed by Steve Cotterill in the summer of 2005.

"My father and I keep up to date, and if I am traveling around the country somewhere he usually keeps me informed on the most recent result," he said.

"I was somewhat surprised to see Steve Cotterill leave because it seemed as if the board had a lot of confidence in him. I know the results weren't going his way during his last couple of months at the club so I was glad to see the new manager was able to get in and turn it around straight away.

"Change isn't always the best thing in football and life in general but it is sometimes necessary to move forward and the club seems to be doing well right now."

And Karbassiyoon believes it is draws such as Burnley's plumb tie with Premier League leaders Arsenal that makes the FA Cup so magical.

"I enjoy the FA Cup because it usually gives a team an opportunity to play a team they aren't used to playing or have never played before," he said.

"For lower league clubs, it's a great chance to shine against some of England's - and the world's for that matter - biggest clubs.

"Upsets aren't extremely rare, and its an exciting time for players and fans alike.

"There's a special aura that surrounds the FA Cup and, although it's hard to describe, it's something both fans and players experience when taking part in the tournament."