'˜It still bugs me we didn't win the FA Cup twice' - Wembley hero Cal

But the wing wizard admits it still haunts him to this day that Latics didn’t go on to repeat their triumph the following year!

FA Cup fever is in the air ahead of Monday’s fifth-round visit of Manchester City – evoking memories of THAT famous day at Wembley five years ago.

Latics, as a Championship club, then beat City at the quarter-final stage the following season, before bowing out to eventual winners Arsenal on penalties in the semi-final.

And it’s that game which McManaman still can’t get out of his head.

“The second year, when we beat City again and played Arsenal, it still bugs me we didn’t win it again,” he admitted.

“I remember being brought down for the penalty at Wembley, which Jordi (Gomez) scored, and I still don’t know how we didn’t go through.

“We played so well, we got so close, and they equalised in the last 10 minutes.

“Looking back, I know we had them...and it still annoys me to this day.

“But once they got the equaliser it gave them the confidence to go on and win the game.

“I know we would have won that final, against Hull. Arsenal were there for the taking, and it still bugs me that we didn’t win it twice in a row.”

McManaman, now with Sunderland after three years at West Brom, admits he didn’t fully appreciate at the time what he and his team-mates were achieving.

“I look back and that was when I was playing at my absolute best,” he added.

“We all just took it in our stride back then, we didn’t realise how big it was.

“Now you look back, at the achievement...and it was amazing really.

“Great times, and hopefully there’s some more great times ahead for Wigan.”