He has been involved in five FA Cup Finals as a player and manager, but Steve Bruce knows his Aston Villa side have got one of the toughest third round draws possible as they head to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Spurs, eight time winners of the competition, have won five Premier League games in a row and sit third in the Premier League table.
That form has allowed both Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen to be nominated for player of the month awards, while Mauricio Pochettino is in line for the managerial gong.
Recent history goes against Villa too, who have tasted success over Spurs just once in the past 16 meetings.
And while The FA Cup is close to Bruce’s heart, he heads to White Hart Lane with some trepidation.
“We couldn’t have asked for anything more difficult,” he said.
“They are one of the best teams in this country – and probably in Europe.
“We couldn’t have asked for a more difficult first game this weekend at White Hart Lane.
“But we have to hope we can play to our best and catch Spurs on an off day.”
He continued: “I was fortunate to win it as a player and fortunate to get to a Cup Final with Hull.
“It’s one of the great sporting events of our country.
“To be involved in it, is a fantastic feeling. From the build-up to the game itself, it’s a fantastic occasion.”
Spurs have a fine tradition in The FA Cup, dating back to 1901 when they became the first and only non-league team to win the competition.
However, they have not paraded the trophy around the streets of Tottenham for 26 years but manager Mauricio Pochettino is hopeful he can end that barren run.
“We will see, maybe this season is a good opportunity to go further in The FA Cup,” he said.
“We need to find a way to try to be competitive because we play again against a very good team in Aston Villa and we want to go further in the competition.”
