Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink almost lost a leg the last time he featured in a major FA Cup tie, but the Cardiff striker is out to banish that painful memory by beating Barnsley in a semi-final few would have predicted.
Hasselbaink will play in the all-Championship clash at Wembley tomorrow still haunted by the blocked vein he aggravated during Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the 2002 final which could have led him to lose the lower part of his right leg.
The problem was not spotted for a nearly a week after the final and it took an immediate operation to stop Hasselbaink's career ending in a flash.
PHOTO: AP
Now the former Netherlands international, back from a three-match suspension, has a chance to get back to English soccer's showpiece final and make amends for that injury nightmare.
"I played in the final and came off after 70 minutes or so. I had a bad injury, a vein which was 75 percent blocked," he said. "If it had been 80 or 90 percent blocked I could have lost the lower part of my leg. I don't know how it happened. Nobody knows. We went to another hospital where there was a vein specialist and he said I had to be operated on right now."
That unhappy FA Cup experience should be more than enough motivation for Hasselbaink, but if the former Middlesbrough and Atletico Madrid star needs any more he only has to look in his trophy cabinet.
"I don't have a lot of medals. The only one is in Portugal in the cup," he said. "I went to the FA Cup here - lost; the Copa del Rey in Spain - lost; the World Cup with Holland, semi-final - lost. Even the third-fourth place - lost. Middlesbrough, the semi-final - lost. Realistically this is going to be my last chance."
Whoever wins tomorrow will end nearly a century spent out of the FA Cup limelight.
It is the first time Cardiff City have reached the last four since 1927 when they went on to become the only non-English side to ever win the trophy, while Barnsley have not lifted the trophy since 1912.
Cardiff's quarter-final win at Premier League side Middlesbrough proved Championship teams can hold their own against supposedly superior opposition.
But despite struggling near the relegation zone, Barnsley have earned most of the FA Cup headlines this year with two stunning victories over two sides now contesting the Champions League quarter-finals - Liverpool in the fifth round and Chelsea in the last eight.
If manager Simon Davey's team reach the final it is a safe bet Luke Steele will have enhanced his growing reputation, yet the former Manchester United goalkeeper may not get to play in the final.
Steele was the hero of Barnsley's win at Anfield and excelled again in the Chelsea match.
However, he is only on loan from fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion and cannot play against his parent club, so the 23-year-old will be praying Portsmouth beat the Baggies in the other semi-final.
"I've been asked about it a million times this week," Steele said. "I'll take whatever comes on Saturday and try and approach the game come Sunday with the same attitude whether I know if I'm going to play - or not - in the final if we win. It's going to be a test, but other players have done it in the past and it's all about mental strength. Hopefully I've got the mental strength to keep my mind on the game. Cardiff know it's going to be a tough game because we've beaten Liverpool and Chelsea as everyone knows and anyone you get in the FA Cup semi-final is going to be tough. But there's no-one to fear and you shouldn't fear anyone in football."
Barnsley are without injured duo Stephen Foster and Daniel Nardiello, while Jon Macken is cup-tied.
Cardiff boss Dave Jones will hand late fitness tests to strike pair Paul Parry and Steve Thompson. Aaron Ramsey is likely to return to the 16-man squad.
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