James Justin is on a mission to pile on the pain for Chelsea and make up for one of the lowest moments of his career. The Leeds United full-back was left devastated in 2021 when an ACL injury forced him to miss Leicester City's shock FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea. Justin received a winners' medal, having played in earlier rounds before getting injured, but admits he does not even know where it is.
Bittersweet Memory
Justin said: "It was a bittersweet moment, to be honest. 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 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. I don't know where the medal is. It's somewhere at home. It was a bad time in my career in terms of the injury, so I was just happy they got it over the line."
He added: "But it was one of the lower points. Everyone plays their part, though, 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."
Confidence Against Chelsea
Justin insists Leeds can beat Chelsea, and that Daniel Farke's men will look to exploit weaknesses in opponents who head into the game having sacked Liam Rosenior after losing seven of their last eight games. He said: "With the squad that we've got, obviously, we've had good results against some big sides this season. So nothing's out of the question. And we're going there with confidence after the last couple of wins. They're obviously a top side with top talent. And since the manager came in, they've obviously changed their style a little bit. But they've still got the same tendencies. And hopefully, we can figure out a game plan to push on their weaknesses."
Wembley Dream
Justin, who won his one England cap back in 2022, has never played at Wembley and is relishing the chance to finally grace one of football's greatest stages. The 10 million pound summer signing from Leicester added: "Hopefully I can get the chance to be out there in an FA Cup final, which would be a dream for me. It's an exciting prospect. Everyone hears about how big the pitch is, how grand it feels, so yeah, I'm excited to get the chance to play. I played for Luton growing up and am grateful for everything they taught me over the years. I was lucky enough to travel when I was a kid and played in high-pressure moments - and hopefully I handle them well now. Definitely it could be a career high, this season. I feel like this has been a fresh start for me and my family. I've played a lot over the second half of this season and I'm really enjoying it, enjoying living in the city. Hopefully we can achieve our main goal, which is staying in the Premier League - and then see what happens in the cup."
