Leeds United's FA Cup final 'veteran' on bittersweet Chelsea memory and fresh hope

One of the current Leeds United squad has in his possession an FA Cup winner's medal, though he doesn't know where it is.

James Justin's FA Cup story is a the very definition of bittersweet.

He was part of the Leicester City squad that made it to the final at Wembley to face Chelsea, having played a part in their journey. Justin scored in the third round victory over Stoke City and also started the win over Brighton in the fifth round.

But from the quarter-finals onwards he had a watching brief due to the injury he sustained in that victory over the Seagulls. Justin did his ACL and would spend nearly a year on the sidelines. The FA Cup final win over Chelsea was a day of mixed emotions.

"It was a bittersweet one to be honest," said the 28-year-old. "Obviously I had played in a couple of rounds before and did well, but to be injured while my team-mates were out there, it was a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.

“At the end of the day it’s a team sport and I’ve still got a medal to show for it. Obviously it was a bad time in my career in terms of the injury so I was just happy they got it over the line. With Youri’s screamer for the winning goal [in the final], you can see anything can happen so we are hoping to do the same.

I’ve played in a few rounds this season and put some solid performances so hopefully I can get the chance to be out there in an FA Cup final, which would be a dream for me."

One of the elder statesmen in a reasonably young Leeds squad that doesn't boast that much top flight experience, Justin has a wise head on his shoulders and can put his personal FA Cup disappointment in wider context.

"I wouldn’t say it was a complete low because obviously there were different things that happened in my career," he said.

"It’s been a bit up and down to be honest, but it was one of the lower points. But also I was happy for my team-mates. I was still part of the team, with them every day so I was happy to celebrate with them. I don’t know where the medal is, it’s somewhere at home. Everyone plays their part, whether you play in the third round or in the final. Everyone has a helping hand, so I’d played a part, but obviously not as much as I wanted to. Hopefully I can change that this time. Chelsea in the semi-final, it might be the same outcome hopefully."

Justin had to be patient this season before breaking into Daniel Farke's starting line-up but since the turn of the year he has been almost ever-present starting 16 consecutive Premier League games and two of their four FA Cup ties. In the other two he came off the bench at half-time. So he can say he's been on the pitch to celebrate all four of their wins. It's highly likely that Farke selects him again at Wembley on Sunday, when he believes Leeds are capable of pulling off a shock win over Chelsea, just like Leicester did.

"We've had good results against some big sides this season," he said, speaking before the midweek draw with Bournemouth.

"So nothing's out of the question. And we're going there with confidence after the last couple of wins. They're obviously top side with top talent. Hopefully, we can figure out a gameplan to push on their weaknesses."