Running out at Wembley for an FA Cup Final can fill many players with dread – Eden Hazard isn’t one of them.
The Belgian playmaker and his Chelsea team-mates are preparing to face Manchester United in Saturday’s showpiece, and Hazard said his overriding emotions will be excitement, anticipation and determination.
“We play football for this,” he said. “Of course, we play the game to win trophies, but we also play to be in the big games, like cup finals.
“When you are a professional, you want to play in all the finals, you want to be the best and you want to win everything.
“So this type of game is good to be involved in because you can feel the pressure on the pitch, the tension among the fans and I think it’s good to play in games like that.”
Chelsea’s No10 is one of the most thrilling talents in the game. His twists and turns in the middle of the pitch can open up a tight game in a split-second, and the burst of acceleration that usually follows frequently sends backpeddling defenders into panic mode.
Yet, while he appreciates the sense of occasion, he won’t treat the game any differently.
“I just enjoy playing football. I enjoy Stamford Bridge… I enjoy it everywhere,” he explained.
“But, of course, Wembley is a massive stadium, so when you play football, you want to play in this kind of game.
"In the Final and the semi-finals of the Cup, you just want to win, especially when you play at Wembley and there are 45,000 people there supporting Chelsea. It’s a massive, massive game.”
Were Chelsea to win, Hazard would complete the set of major English domestic titles, having already won the Premier League twice and the League Cup on one occasion too. But he doesn’t need reminding of that.
“Yeah, that’s why I want to win!” he said.
“If I win The FA Cup, I’ve won everything here, so for me it’s a big target but we know the Final will not be easy.
“We play against Manchester United, with a manager, [Jose] Mourinho, who is used to winning a lot of finals, so we know to be ready for a game.
“So I hope it will be a good match and, at the end of it, I hope the trophy will be waiting for Chelsea.”
