Value of cup not lost on Fabregas

trophy. I was just 18 in 2005. We played really bad, to be honest. We were lucky. I can say that now, I don’t care.

“I remember kicking Roy Keane in a one-onone. I won that one so I was happy. I got away because he was on the floor, so he couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t get hold of me to kick me back later.

“Then I remember when Patrick scored the winner. I think it was his last kick for Arsenal. It was a nice moment. Good celebrations.

“I remember that final in a special way. It was my first big trophy as a professional at a very young age.

“I remember Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Scholes, Keane. It was a fantastic United team. One of the best I faced.”

After a tough season for Chelsea, who finished fifth in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League, they are set to lose their manager Antonio Conte after the final. Fabregas knows a medal will be a good tonic for the club.

“To win a trophy is not easy. How many top teams are in Europe – and a lot of them do not win anything,” said Fabregas. “In the Champions League, we played Barcelona, one of the top teams in the world, and lost. That can happen.

“In the Premier League, we should have done better, we were not consistent. This is on us as players.

“It is a big disappointment. All we can do now is go on, win this final and give the fans a good end of the season.”

And look after that medal.