But having played in the Qualifying Rounds back in his non-League days just a few short years before scoring in an FA Cup Final, Ian Wright is one man who can make such a claim.
Wright was rejected by a series of professional clubs during his teenage years before plying his trade in the non-Leagues.
The FA Cup
Fourth Qualifying Round
24-26 October 2014
Winners receive £12,500 from prize fund
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It wasn’t until the striker hit 21 that his talent was recognised by Crystal Palace boss Steve Coppell and the club, so rumour has it, paid for Wright’s signature with a set of weights.
And from there the south Londoner’s rise became meteoric, as he takes up the story.
"My struggles to get into the professional game are well documented, I struggled throughout my teens and then finally got there with Palace," he told Wembleystadium.com.
"Then I went up with Palace in ’89 through the play-offs and suddenly we are playing Liverpool in the Semi-Final after losing 9-0 to them in the league that same season.
"And we won 4-3!"
Suddenly, Wright and Palace were in The FA Cup Final in 1990 where they would face Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.
Yet the striker’s dream of an outing under the old Twin Towers was almost snatched from him.
Wright first made his name during his spell with Palace
Wright had broken his fibular and faced a race against time to make his Wembley date with destiny, one he admits he almost missed.
"The week prior to the week of the Cup Final I played two friendly games behind closed doors and in the first one on the Monday, I really struggled," reflected Wright.
"They were really worried I wouldn’t make it and I was worried too.
"But I got through the second game, scored and then I played a couple of reserve games and I just got stronger.
"After 73 minutes of The Final, Steve Coppell brought me on and I scored.
"It was such an emotional moment, as I ran away my face was contorted with ecstasy because I’d fulfilled my dream.
"It’s the kind of thing that, if I hadn’t achieved anything else in my life, that memory would have been enough for me."
Yet, a few brief years earlier, Wright admits he couldn’t have imagined enjoying such a moment.
“It was amazing to just have that link with The FA Cup”
Ian Wright
In his early 20s, Wright was searching for a plastering job whilst playing non-League football on a Sunday.
But the Arsenal legend says the beauty of The FA Cup is that it gives everyone a chance and he eventually got his hands on the trophy when Arsenal lifted The Cup at Wembley in 1993 following a Final replay victory over Sheffield Wednesday in which he scored in both games.
"I remember playing in The Cup when I was non-League and it was amazing to just have that link with The FA Cup," reflected Wright.
"You know you’re not going to go all the way but you’re just playing in The FA Cup.
"The competition is so great because it gives everybody, from the smallest to the biggest club in the country, the opportunity to play in it."
Wright is still very much involved with The FA Cup as he travels the country for his column in The Sun tracing the competition back to its roots.
And he confesses the people he’s met have certainly opened his eyes.
"What I’ve learned about The FA Cup is what it means to these lower league teams," said Wright. "It’s the blood coursing through their veins, they need it more than anything else.
"When you see a team finally get to the Third Round and they are in there with the big boys, we just see this fairy tale story.
"But the journey they’ve taken to get there is unbelievable.
"The people who support these lower league teams are the life blood of the game and I’m very proud to have any links with The FA Cup."
