Honestly, playing with a super young team in these big matches is both exciting and kinda scary. Both Sheffield United and Sunderland have started loads of games with guys in their early 20s, and Sunderland even had Chris Rigg playing regularly at 16, which I think is awesome and sort of wild at the same time.

In my experience talking to mates who play or even watch academy matches, young players tend to have more energy and aren’t afraid to take risks, which can totally change a game. But on the flip side, big matches like the play-off final at Wembley are super stressful, and younger squads might crack under pressure because they just haven’t been there before.

Honestly, it makes it unpredictable. I feel like sometimes they crush it, like fearless, but there’s always the chance they make rookie mistakes. But seeing these teenagers and young guys stepping up is why everyone gets hyped—like, this could literally be the night one of them becomes a club legend. It makes the build-up way more fun for fans like me!