Guus Hiddink: The FA Cup is the one everybody likes to have

Guus Hiddink makes no secret of the high regard with which he holds the Emirates FA Cup.

The Dutchman lifted The Cup with Chelsea seven years ago and is now back at Stamford Bridge looking to add a second winners’ medal to his collection.

But he knows it won’t be easy as the Blues need to negotiate a fifth round tie with Premier League high-fliers Manchester City on Sunday.

"It's a good memory to go back seven years, but now we are living in real time," revealed Hiddink. 

"And we hope to get as far as possible, which means another time at Wembley would be terrific.

"When we saw the draw, we thought this is already a Final being played in February, with two massive teams who are both very ambitious to go and win.

"But in February, they don't give the prizes, they do that at the end of April or in May.

"The FA Cup, worldwide, has so much of an attention and we are desperate to go as far as possible which means let's go to The Final, but first steps first."

Hiddink is one of the world’s most experienced coaches, having managed the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid and Valencia at club level and his native Netherlands, South Korea, Russia and Australia on the international stage.

But the 69-year-old still reveres the world’s original Cup competition, stretching back to his days as a youngster when he recalls watching The Final from his Dutch home.

"There was one Saturday in May, as a young kid I remember, that everyone was watching The FA Cup at the old Wembley at that time," he revealed.

"The whole world was watching so that means the importance of that Cup was huge, not just here but worldwide.

"If you can get this silverware, it's one of those things which you can dream of as a manager.

"I think The FA Cup is, with capitals, the one that everybody likes to have."

Watch our full interview with Hiddink in the FATV video player below.