Downing out for Di Matteo revenge
Stewart Downing is determined to deny Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo the opportunity to break his heart for the second time in the FA Cup.
The winger was a 12-year-old when he took up position in the Wembley stands to watch Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough face Chelsea in their FA Cup final in May 1997.
But after less than a minute of play, Boro-mad Downing saw his dreams shattered by the very man who will select the Chelsea side to face Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.
And it was a sensational strike.
The 26-year-old Di Matteo scooped possession inside his own half and burst through the middle of the park as Middlesbrough players backed away.
And after just 42 seconds of the match, the midfielder fired home off the underside of the crossbar from all of 30 yards.
The final ended 2-0 and 15 years on, with the Italian replacing Andre Villas Boas in the Chelsea hot-seat and guiding them to an FA Cup and Champions League final, the memories of that day still come flooding back to Downing.
"We all still remember Di Matteo's goal so early, going in off the bar – I've disliked him ever since!" laughed Downing. "It was my first ever visit to Wembley. It was a good day but with bad memories.
"What did I call him at the time? Nothing I could repeat. But he was a good player, scored a good goal and has done well as manager of Chelsea.
"I might remind him of what he did to me in 1997 if we win, but there's a lot of hard work to be done first. It's a different Chelsea now. But we're really confident we can get a result."