ROONEY AND RASHFORD COULD HOLD THE KEY
As Manchester United pursue a first Emirates FA Cup final place since 2007 at the weekend, two of the key men in an attacking sense will clearly have very different experience of the world-famous competition.
While Wayne Rooney is a Wembley veteran, Marcus Rashford appears likely to make his maiden outing at the stadium, depending on Louis van Gaal's final team selection for the Everton clash. After playing together for the first time against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, the duo may prove crucial in ensuring the Reds set up a return date in the capital on 21 May.
By my reckoning, Rooney has played 32 times for England at Wembley and scored 19 goals, an excellent record. He had to wait until 2007, when he was 21, to appear there as the venue was previously being renovated and his first outing, for United, ended in disappointment as Chelsea won the cup after extra time thanks to Didier Drogba's effort.
A few months later, he converted his penalty against the same opponents to help earn victory in the Community Shield and the Reds' no.10 also has a last-minute equaliser in the season opener against the Blues in 2009, a headed winner in the League Cup final triumph over Aston Villa (2010) and a goal in the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona (2011) to his name.
All in all, the 30-year-old has appeared seven times at Wembley in United colours so the game against his former club should mark his 40th outing beneath the arch. He is clearly a man on a mission. If you had told him, or indeed anybody, after his Man-of-the-Match display against Arsenal 11 years ago, that he would still be waiting to get his hands on the trophy, it would have been something of a surprise.
In contrast, Rashford has yet to appear at Wembley and, at 18, his memories of the competition obviously pale into comparison. Rooney attended the 1995 final, when Everton beat United 1-0, but Rashford was probably still in nappies when United overcame Newcastle United in the second leg of the Treble four years later.
The Mancunian striker was only six years old when the Reds last won the FA Cup and so it is feasible he has nothing but even the sketchiest of memories of the club lifting the trophy. And yet, as a raw teenager, he may get the chance to become a hero and write his name into United's storied history. The sublime strike at West Ham United helped set up the last-four encounter with Everton and the wide open spaces at Wembley could provide numerous opportunities to exploit his explosive pace.
Whether Rooney or Rashford end up being influential on the big stage this weekend remains to be seen, but both will be extremely motivated to ensure the team lines up another day to remember at Wembley. Wednesday's win over Palace hinted at the prospect of the pair combining to good effect, and the chance to upset a depleted Toffees backline should be approached with relish.
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