PHIL JAGIELKA admits he was left in tears by the heartbreaking injury that dashed his FA Cup final dream.

The Everton defender was ruled out of next month’s Wembley showdown with Chelsea after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during last weekend’s home defeat to Manchester City.

Jagielka undergoes an operation to repair the damage in London today before beginning a rehabilitation programme, with the centre-back expected to be sidelined for the next six months.

The injury came just six days after the 26-year-old netted the decisive penalty in the semi-final shoot-out victory over Manchester United to send Everton to their first major final since 1995.

And speaking for the first time since the devastating blow, Jagielka has revealed the depths of his despair when realising hopes of lifting the FA Cup were over.

“I had to get out of the changing room,” said Jagielka. “I was crying and I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t go and see my friends or my family because I felt myself fill up.

“Obviously everyone wanted to come and see me, but one minute I would be fine making jokes and the next I would be crying my eyes out.

“I went for the scan straight away because I wouldn’t have slept. After the scan they knew that there was a gap where my cruciate was supposed to be.”

Jagielka suffered the injury after landing awkwardly while going up for a header midway through the second half of the 2-1 defeat to City on Saturday.