THE boot is on the other foot for Huddersfield Town's Anton Robinson this season – and he’s enjoying every minute of the build-up to Wembley.
Born and bred just two miles away from the national stadium in Brent, the 26-year-old midfielder now has the chance to realise an ambition by playing there in the League I play-off final showdown with Sheffield United a week today.
He knows he’ll have to work hard to be involved, but is hoping he impressed manager Simon Grayson when coming on in place of Tommy Miller for the closing stages of Tuesday’s semi-final second leg, when despite losing 2-1, Town completed a 3-2 aggregate victory over MK Dons.
“The gaffer just told me to get into the thick of it and try to stop the likes of Stephen Gleeson and Luke Chadwick from setting up attacks,” explained the close-season signing from Bournemouth.
“It was all pretty frantic, but I was pleased with what I did and it was a brilliant feeling to know we had reached the final.”
Robinson tasted semi-final defeat on the same turf the season before, when he missed from the spot as Bournemouth went down on penalties after a memorable 3-3 extra-time stalemate with Town.
“That was hard to take,” said the former Millwall junior, who was with the Lions when they went down 3-0 to Manchester United in the 2004 FA Cup final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium but didn’t feature in the matchday squad.
“And I know from talking to the lads involved last season (when Town lost 3-0 to Peterborough at Old Trafford) that defeat in a final is a horrible thing.
“The aim is to make that an incentive to beat Sheffield United, because while it’s great to be going to Wembley, we’re all aware that there is a massive challenge ahead.
“It’s one we deserve to be facing, because I thought the boys worked their socks off in both games against MK Dons, and over the 180 minutes, we were certainly the better side.
“They came to our place and gave it a really good go, but for the bulk of Tuesday’s game, we were either three or two goals to the good.
“We’re still on course. Promotion was the aim at the start of the season and we are now within one game of achieving it.”
Robinson, who has also played for Eastleigh, Exeter, Eastbourne, Fisher and Weymouth as well as the England semi-professional side, is desperate to make a 31st Town appearance in seven days’ time – but accepts he has his work cut out if he is to earn a 17th start.
“You have to say the lads who started over the two legs of the semi-final deserve the chance because they were excellent,” explained the man who was on the bench for both games.
“A lot of players go through their whole career and never get to Wembley, so to feature in any way is something amazing and something to hold inside your head for years to come.
“Everyone is champing at the bit to be involved, and I’m just working as hard as possible to get myself noticed.”
