It took a brave man to ask David James about the white suit. The outfits that he and his Liverpool colleagues wore before losing a disappointing FA Cup Final to Manchester United in 1996 were almost as embarrassing as his error on his return to Wembley in 2000, which led to the only goal of Chelsea's victory over Aston Villa.

“It's in the wardrobe,” the Portsmouth and England goalkeeper said. “It has grass stains from when I wore it for the Travelling Bunburys charity cricket match a couple of years afterwards. It is cream ... it might even be almond. Had we won the Cup, we would have been the best-dressed team to win. Such is life. The suit was more memorable than the final.”

Although Portsmouth's stuttering recent form hardly promises a classic today, the odds are in James's favour against Cardiff City. Not only does he play behind one of the strongest rearguards in the Barclays Premier League, his form has been good enough for him to win back his England place at 37. Without wishing to jinx one of the game's most articulate and likeable characters, his reputation for howlers in big matches has been all but buried. So, third time lucky?

“I don't believe in luck,” he said. “The reality is in the previous two FA Cup Finals we didn't play well enough and deserved to lose. There's nothing more frustrating, especially for supporters - I look at Villa more than Liverpool here because they hadn't got to a Cup Final in decades.

“Portsmouth are in a similar situation. The build-up for Villa was tremendous and everyone was looking forward to a wonderful day out. Likewise here. And the worst thing is to go out and not perform.

“All I can hope for in this one is that, as a team, we make a decent account of ourselves, as we have throughout the rounds. As much as it hasn't been pretty, we've done enough to win. Saturday will be no different and if we do that, a very good season ends up being a tremendous season.”

His best season? “It is difficult to define 'best',” he said. “Statistically I would argue no, but happiest, yes. I was fortunate to have a good season last year and this one has been a follow-on and adding to what has been a great 12 months. It is the happiest I have been in my career, quite possibly.”

He may come up against another man with an almond suit in his wardrobe if Robbie Fowler is fit enough to make the Cardiff squad. “I have been in touch with Robbie,” James said. “As soon as I knew we were playing in the final, someone said he wants to get fit and score. He is not my friend any more.

“I am joking - I will be in touch with him before the game. Anyone who can do what he did for Liverpool has to be considered a tremendous player and I am just happy for him that he is in a position where he can get himself fit. He has been plagued by injuries and it is not nice when one of your mates is not able to do what he loves doing, which is playing football.”

Whether or not Fowler plays, James expects a close match. Portsmouth have faced Coca-Cola Championship opponents in every round bar one, but James has been called upon to perform heroics, especially in the victories over Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End.

“Every game has been hard,” he said. “We have only won by one goal on each occasion and at times we have required the other team to score first. With this last game, ideally we would like to give the kind of performance which is long overdue, arguably, and come away as wonderful winners. But winners is all that matters.”

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