Hull City midfielder Tom Huddlestone says it is a “dream” to be in The FA Cup Final – and believes the underdog tag will benefit his side against Arsenal.
Huddlestone helped his side to battle back from 2-1 down to a 5-3 victory over Sheffield United in Sunday’s Semi-Final, scoring the third goal himself, and now he believes the victory can springboard them to further Cup glory against the Gunners.
Huddlestone told TheFA.com: “It’s a dream come true for me. I came here to play games and if we can get three or four more points in the league to be secure we can then look forward to next month.
“The FA Cup run has been amazing, and as a child the Final games are the ones that really stick in your mind.
Tom Huddlestone slots home for Hull City
“I remember the Manchester United v Chelsea and the United and Liverpool games, and for me now to be a part of that in a few weeks time is going to be something special.”
Huddlestone says his side will go into the showdown on Saturday 17 May as underdogs, but he thinks that could be a benefit.
“A Cup Final is the best place to be an underdog,” he said. “We have a great chance and obviously Arsenal have not won a trophy for a while, so all the pressure will be on them.
“If they show any sign of nerves then we can exploit that. It is going to be a tough game and they are a top team – but we believe we can win it.”
And on his goal, which sparked a memorable and emotive celebration, Huddlestone admitted to feeling somewhat relieved to see the ball hit the back of the net.
He added: “It was my man who got their second goal, so at the break I was devastated.
“Everyone’s performance in the first-half was nowhere near what it should have been, so to score the goal was a massive relief really.
“I knew I was in and that I was going to hit it with my right foot. I felt somebody on my right hand side who I knew was trying to stop me, so I shifted it on to my left foot and luckily I found the corner.
“I released a lot of energy and emotions with my celebration and thankfully it helped us to win the game.”
