Jamie Mackie was left pinching himself after Reading booked their place in the semifinals of the FA Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over 10-man Bradford.
Mackie added gloss to the scoreline by hammering home 22 minutes from time after Hal Robson-Kanu and Garath McCleary put the Royals into a quick-fire 2-0 lead after nine minutes.
By that time Bradford, who humbled Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in the third round, were down to 10 men after Felipe Morais was shown a straight red card, but Mackie was just delighted to be 90 minutes away from the final.
"It's massive for the football club, obviously you can see what it means to the fans and to the players," he told BBC Sport.
"You know I'm 29 years old and I've never had the chance to go and play in a semifinal of the FA Cup and be one game away from the final -- that's what you dream about as a kid."
Holders Arsenal block Reading's path to May's showpiece, but the Royals will be buoyed by the comfortable result going into that last-four meeting.
"We had a really good game plan, we knew it was going to be tough but to be fair to us we started well and I think that set us in really good stead and it would have been hard for us to lose from there [after going 2-0 up after nine minutes]," Mackie added.
When asked about Reading's differing fortunes in the FA Cup compared to their league form, which has seen them slump to 17th place, the Nottingham Forest loanee explained that the cup run has provided them with a welcome relief.
"It's just given us a different focus when we've had a tough run, and it's something different to think about," he said. "We really need to be better in the league, we all know that, but at least we've put some smiles on faces."
Reading manager Steve Clarke is hoping to take over from Bradford as FA Cup underdogs and replicate the kind of cup giant-killing exploits of the team who knocked out Chelsea and Sunderland on their way to the sixth round.
"You see tonight what it means to us," he said of Reading's cup run. "We go to the semifinal a difficult game against Arsenal but we go there with hope and belief that maybe we can continue the good work of Bradford. Bradford have been fantastic underdogs in this tournament this year and we look to pick up the baton now and do it in the semifinal."
Clarke made 11 changes to the side which slipped to a 4-1 defeat at Watford in the Championship on Saturday and believes he made the right decision to do so.
"I am paid to do a job for the club and I have to do what is correct for the football club and I think I did that," he added.
"I am pleased for the players -- it has been a difficult season for them. It was very comfortable because we got off to a great start. From there we controlled the game very, very well and the third goal was the one that killed it. It was a very comfortable night."
Bradford boss Phil Parkinson, who was given a warm reception at the Madejski Stadium having enjoyed a distinguished 11-year playing career with Reading, felt the stuffing had been knocked out of his players following the hosts' lightning start.
"Reading were the better team on the night and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb," he said. "They played with a spring in their step after that and we found it difficult to respond. A two-goal lead after 10 minutes lifted the whole crowd and their players but we have got to be immensely proud.
"This is tough to take, we wanted to progress but we have got to quickly move on and reflect on this year's competition. When you have these cup runs as a lower-league side there is always a danger you will have an off-day. The lads were deflated on the pitch and I couldn't wait to get them into the dressing room at half-time to give them a lift."
Parkinson had no complaints about Morais' second-half red card and was quick to wish Clarke and his players good luck for the remainder of the competition.
"We wish them all the best in the semi-final against Arsenal,'' he added. "We have got 11 games to go, no-one else in our division has had the high-profile games we have had to contend with and the lads have kept going really well. Now we can focus on the league, we are going to have a good go.''