Hull City defender Liam Rosenior has an acute understanding of what the FA Cup final will mean to a region and its football club this afternoon. Only Paul McShane and Robert Koren can claim to have been on City's books for longer, but Rosenior's links stretch back 25 years.
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As a child he was a regular visitor to his Grandmother's home on Newland Avenue during school holidays. The young Londoner spent bleak nights at Boothferry Park and learned the ways of a struggling working-class city.
A move to the KC Stadium in October 2010 reintroduced Rosenior to Hull and now he can proudly see city mirroring City in its rebirth.
"It's weird how I've always had a link with the city, that deeper understanding of what it takes to be from Hull and what its people look for," said Rosenior.
"I remember going to Boothferry Park with my uncle-in-law and he's a massive biking fan. He hates football but I begged him to take me. I was up on my summer holidays so it must have been a League Cup game one night. There was probably about 1,500 people in a stadium that was falling apart.
"I was 10 so it was great just to be there watching a game of football but looking back and looking at how far the club has come is just incredible.
"But it's mirrored with so many other things around the city. Siemens have come in, we've won the City of Culture for 2017 and people are starting to have a reason to be proud to come from the area.
"The football team is part of that and it's fantastic."
Rosenior has developed a sharp passion for an area he is happy to call home. His Nanna, the focal point of a terrace anthem, began his love affair when first moving here but he laments it was a "forgotten city" for too long.
He said: "It's a proud, proud city. It's a city with a lot of tradition. I used to go to the William Wilberforce museum all the time when I was a kid. I know what this city has done for this country.
"Reaching a Cup final is massive for the football club but I wouldn't say it's just about the football club. It's about the area in general. It's a working-class area and it's a working-class ethos throughout the whole city. People stick together and work through adversity.
"This club has had plenty of adversity so for it to come out the other side and be so successful gives people the chance to be proud of where they come from, as they rightfully should be. For me to be a part of that is just fantastic."
Rosenior takes great satisfaction that his adopted city has found a voice all of a sudden. As well as touting itself as a new hub for green energy through the investment of Siemens, positive headlines have been plentiful in the light of being named the UK's City of Culture 2017.
The Tigers are also doing their bit in altering perceptions. With a fourth Premier League season in seven on its way in 2014-15 alongside a first tilt at the Europa League, it is impossible to ignore the suspicion that better times are ahead.
"It's a thriving city all of a sudden and that gives people a sense of self-esteem. They'll wear Hull shirts with pride now," said Rosenior.
"There was a time when you'd see young kids wearing Man United or Liverpool shirts around here but now I don't see any of that.
"It's more than just the football, it represents the area and the city. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 10 years you didn't see a lot of top young players coming from this area. They're enthused by it all and have belief they can get where they want to be."
City might lack a local favourite at Wembley this afternoon but Rosenior believes his manager typifies the values of a club to its community.
He said: "He's a fantastic man. He worked his way up from Gillingham to be the captain of Manchester United.
"He'll be the first one to tell you he wasn't the greatest player but he gave 100 per cent every time he played.
"You see how we've played recently, it's not been great, but when our 11 men step out on to the pitch at Wembley we'll all give 100 per cent for each other. That's what people look for in this area."
Today they can share the biggest day of their footballing lives. While City reached a first FA Cup final in their 110 years to draw 25,000 giddy supporters to the capital, Rosenior and his team-mates are within 90 minutes of silverware few imagined possible at the start of 2014.
Rosenior cannot escape the excitement that has built and built ahead of facing Arsenal at 5pm.
"Everywhere I go now I get people stopping me. When I first came in the Championship it was different, I was able to move around without anyone noticing me," he said.
"But now it's great, people are so happy to see you. It's definitely better like that!
"I drop the kids off at school and I've got teachers on my case and parents telling me how important it is to win. As if I didn't know already!
"We're playing for history now. We've already done a little part of that but we want more.
"People looked at me as though I was crazy when I said I wanted to get to the Premier League during all the financial difficulties.
"It's one game now and it's achievable. We want to win this game then in 20 years time be able to get back together with all these lads and say 'Wow, wasn't it amazing what we did?'
"We can do it, we just need to believe. A lot of the lads here have had things to prove and to go out and win the FA Cup would do that. I want to hold the FA Cup and give it a big kiss. That would be amazing."
