The PA report:
'Rio Ferdinand is 90 minutes away from being able to repay a debt he owes to Liverpool legend John Barnes. As a kid growing up in Peckham, Barnes was one of the players Ferdinand used to worship. The Manchester United defender loved Barnes' silky skills and since his own rise to prominence, Ferdinand has developed a close friendship with the former England star.
'However, it is only recently Barnes has been able to hand Ferdinand the gift he has spent years pleading for; his shirt from the 1988 FA Cup final Liverpool lost to Wimbledon. It was the first final of which Ferdinand really took any notice and generated a feeling of mystique and magic which remains with the 29-year-old to this day.
'The trouble for Ferdinand is, he has not been able to think of a suitable exchange present. It just might be that a winning shirt from the first final to be staged at the 'new' Wembley might do nicely. "I have been asking for that shirt for five years," revealed the £29.1million defender. Finally, he has managed to get it to me. I don't know if he has had it made up but it seems authentic enough with all the logos on.
"When I was growing up, John Barnes was one of my favourite players. But now he wants a favour from me, so I have been dodging his calls."
'Suspended for United's win over Millwall in 2004 due to his eight-month ban for a missed drugs test, Ferdinand was one of the Red Devils players who broke down in tears 12 months later as Arsenal secured a penalty shoot-out win at the Millennium Stadium. The former West Ham star makes no apology for such a raw show of emotion, believing it emphasises just how much the competition means to him.
"I can't hide my feelings," he said. "I was devastated to lose against Arsenal. The experience hurt so much. The FA Cup is a special competition. You grow up learning about all the great players who have appeared in it and all the great goals that have been scored. Once we knew the final was going to be at Wembley, it just upped the ante in terms of our determination to get there."