Eric Lichaj: #GetEricADog goes viral as Forest defender's pet quest triggers online campaign

Spare a thought for poor Kathryn Lichaj in the aftermath of Nottingham Forest's FA Cup heroics against Arsenal.

Her husband Eric became a Forest hero as his two goals helped secure a shock 4-2 victory against the cup holders at the City Ground on Sunday.

The USA international has been longing for a dog for some time, and they even had a deal - he scores a hat-trick and he gets a dog.

Two goals obviously do not make a hat-trick, but, after Forest team-mates and fans joined in Eric's crusade, Kathryn eventually had no choice but to relent.

"I've got pictures of dogs being sent to me, a hashtag going #GetEricADog and everyone saying he deserves one," she told BBC Radio Nottingham before giving in.

"We're watching the highlights on Match of the Day, I'm really proud of him watching the goals over again and he's still bringing up pictures of dogs.

Eric Lichaj was keen to press his canine cause, even urging fans to bombard his wife with dog tweets

"He will go to bed and get pictures of dogs up and work out which is best for a family. It was starting to do my head in, so I said if you get a hat-trick we'll make a deal and you can have a dog.

"I thought, I'm safe here, we're not going to have a dog.

"If he doesn't get the dog, maybe it'll egg him on to get a hat-trick next time."

Lichaj, 29, has always had dogs, but canine companionship had to go on the backburner when the couple started a family.

The couple have two daughters who were born just 13 months apart, but with the elder daughter having now started school, Eric stepped up his campaign for a new pet.

Kathryn has already weighed up the practicalities.

"He goes to training every day, I've got two children and I'll be the one with a dog," she laughed.

"One of the ones he was looking at is a German shepherd, saying it was a brilliant family dog, but they need walking don't they?

"At least if it was a little handbag dog it could come to the shops with me, but he wants a big dog."

Kathryn Lichaj has been bombarded since the story of their hat-trick deal came out...

...and eventually she gave in to the pressure