Marc Guehi knows his relationship with the FA Cup has been a love-hate one like no other. This time 12 months ago he was lifting the trophy for Crystal Palace, following their shock win over the club he went on to join.
But his joy at helping Palace land the first silverware in their history soon turned to utter despair and embarrassment. Because just over six months later, Guehi also captained Palace to what was the biggest shock in the competition's long history.
Palace's humiliating loss at non-league Macclesfield was Guehi's last act on behalf of the London club. One which left him having to go and speak to seething supporters who had made the long trip to Cheshire to witness a humbling defeat.
Less than two weeks later Guehi was turning out for Manchester City, having joined Pep Guardiola's men in a £30m deal. And now his rollercoaster ride has taken him back to Wembley, for today's crunch showdown with Chelsea - the club where he first started out as a professional.
Winning back-to-back FA Cups is the stuff most footballers can only dream about. And Guehi admits the journey has been one of the craziest things to ever happen in his career.
Guehi Reflects on Unpredictable Journey
Guehi said: "I feel like my football life is just crazy. There's no, how can I say, consistency to it. It's just very unpredictable, to be honest. And it's quite fun to be honest. But yeah, it's very interesting. I'm glad to be given the opportunity to play in such a prestigious final again."
"And for this football club, I know how much it means to them to win trophies, especially the FA Cup and the history that it has behind it. So it's a really big thing for the football club - and I'm glad to be involved in it."
Guehi never imagined he would be in the final again this season, having found himself dumped out by Macclesfield in January. And he appreciates the second chance he'd been given - in what will be a third successive appearance in the showpiece game for Guardiola's side.
Learning from the Sidelines
He said: "I just felt like I owed the (Palace) fans, not an explanation, but I owed the fans to have their voices heard. Because they're such a big part of football, so they definitely need to be heard. And in that moment, it was low for them, but that's just another part of life, I guess."
"But yeah, like I said, to be given another opportunity is such a blessing and we'll be doing everything we can to try and take it."
Guehi was banned from City's Carabao Cup final triumph over Arsenal in March, having already played in the competition for Palace. He missed out on picking up a medal - but reckons he gained something much more important from just watching on the sidelines.
The England defender added: "It was great, to be honest. It was great just to see what the guys were able to achieve, against such a formidable opponent in Arsenal. And it was great to see the mentality and just learn. Learn what it takes to go on and win those trophies in those moments. When you're not in those moments often, it's hard to understand. So taking, I guess, a backseat, was probably the best thing for me. Just seeing how well they did was amazing."
