Cardiff City v Portsmouth
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
The Final
3pm, Saturday 17 May 2008
Wembley Stadium
Winning clubs will receive £1,000,000 from The FA
Seating plan - click here



A few years ago Sylvain Distin was just like many other young football fans collecting their football stickers, but this Saturday he will be playing alongside his heroes in The FA Cup Final.

 

Distin is a relative latecomer to the professional game and two of his favourite English players were Sol Campbell and David James.

 

The French defender, who has appeared in every game of Portsmouth's run to The Final, says it is a pleasure to play with two people he looked up to when he was younger.

 

"Seven or eight years ago, I wasn't even playing professional football and I used to collect their stickers," Distin revealed.

 

"I never thought I would play with players like that."

 

Distin, Campbell and James have been part of a Portsmouth defence that has conceded only once en route to The Final and Distin sees the club's presence at Wembley as a good sign for the future.

 

"Some people say Portsmouth is not a big club," added Distin, who switched to Fratton Park from Manchester City at the end of last season.

 

"A big club for me is not only in the past, but where it's going in the future. It's easy to say now, but that's what I said from day one.

 

"Now we have reached The Final we have to win it. We simply have to win it and I mean no disrespect to the opposition by saying that."