Joe Edwards' Wembley Preview

Mick Heathcote. Curtis Nelson. And, soon, Joe Edwards.

Just two men have led Argyle out in a match at Wembley Stadium, and should Edwards be selected on Sunday when the Pilgrims meet Bolton Wanderers under the arch, he will become the third.

As the teams enter the Wembley amphitheatre, Argyle’s players will be greeted by more than 38,000 members of the Green Army, roaring on their heroes.

“We know how much the fans love coming,” said Joe. “They travel all over England for us.

“We hoped there'd be a lot of fans there, but being the Papa Johns final we weren’t sure if it'd be full. I think we now know, with Argyle, they’ll come and watch you no matter what.  It’s amazing to have that many there.

“It gives us an added boost going into the game and it's going to make it even more special. Having everyone with us, it'll be even better.

“It's an amazing day, which we'll be looking back on in years to come. We want to be a successful part of history. It's going to be an immensely proud moment for me to lead the team out.

“It is something I'll look back and cherish on. If you go there and win it, it makes it even more special.”

Joe will be looking back on past experiences to assist him on Sunday. In 2013, he was in the Yeovil Town team that were promoted from League One, beating Brentford in a Wembley play-off final.

Now with 177 Argyle appearances to his name, Edwards has played against Bolton five times in the green and white, with Argyle coming out on top in four, and drawing the other.

Wanderers are having a good season, though, and boast multiple players with quality, as well as their own formidable fanbase who will be heading to the capital.  

“We've played them twice already this year, but it could be completely different,” said Joe. “Anything can happen in a cup final.

“It's a different feel to, say, a play-off final. It's a cup final; it's a fantastic opportunity. We’ve seen the numbers that are going.

“A play-off final is an end-of-season finale, which has a massive outcome and you've worked all season for it.

“A cup final is slightly different, albeit you've had to get through the whole of the cup, but it's not the end of the season. It's a one-off game, you have a winner and a loser. It'd be fantastic to win. We're doing everything we can to win.

“The underlying feeling is excitement. The week is building up nicely. We've got a long week to build up into it, we just want to make the most of it really.

“We're going there full of confidence and looking to enjoy it.”