Former Chelsea star Roberto di Matteo has spoken of the pride he will feel when he leads the Blues out for this afternoon's FA Cup final showdown with London rivals Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium.
The 31-year-old Italian was forced to retire in February after a long and unsuccessful battle to recover from a broken leg.
Di Matteo, who will lead his team-mates from their dressing room to the half-way line, said: "I'm very flattered and honoured. It's a nice gesture by the manager and hopefully it'll be a good omen for the team!
"When I retired, the club were so nice to keep me involved with the team until the end of the season. I have a very close relationship with everyone here and will always feel a part of this club."
He also gave Claudio Ranieri's men a vote of confidence for next season.
"This team can only get better as many of the players are very young and the club might sign two or three good players," he told Chelsea TV. "I can see the future is quite bright."
Meanwhile Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman has urged his team-mates not to allow their chances of winning the Double to slip through their fingers in today's final.
Arsenal look likely to clinch the Barclaycard Premiership title next week, needing a point at Manchester United to make sure, but their first chance of silverware comes in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
It would be the club's first trophy since last securing the Double in 1998, having finished runners-up three times in the league as well as in the 2000 UEFA Cup and last season's FA Cup in the meantime.
Seaman declared: "It would be a huge shame if we came this far and did not win anything. We've been second too often and it's about time we won something again."
PA