LIKE many a proud parent, Paul Hibbert has a place in his home reserved for the family silver.

Consisting primarily of the medals that son Tony accrued during his ascent up the footballing ladder, it provides a happy reminder of the journey the now 28-year-old made from promising schoolboy all the way to Everton’s first team.

In recent years, though, Paul has been left with the ‘problem’ of maintaining and admiring the collection, rather than finding more space for new additions.

After all, 11 years have passed since the last significant medal found its way back into the Hibbert household and the Blues’ right back knows it is about time he changed all that – and there could be no better place to do it than at Wembley on Saturday.

So while Tony still savours the memory of being part of Everton’s last FA Youth Cup winning side, he is desperate to become a member of Everton’s next FA Cup winning team and hopes that will be the case against Chelsea.

“It was great to win the FA Cup with Ossie in 1998 and we then got to the semi-finals a year later,” said Hibbert. “It was a big deal for us as kids making our way up through the ranks and my Dad has got all those trophies and medals.

“It’s great to be able to look back and remember what a team we had back then; my Dad keeps everything that I’ve got down the years and he’ll be getting my medal if we win on Saturday.

“But I haven’t been able to look at anything different for ages, as I haven’t won anything. He takes all my jerseys and my brother, Paul, is also the same; it’s about time I added to it, though, isn’t it?”

As he accepts, however, that is easier said than done; Chelsea, after all, have not lost to Everton since November 2000 and will go into the Cup final as hot favourites, to give Guus Hiddink a rousing send-off but it would be folly for anyone to dismiss the chances of Hibbert and his team-mates.

A media circus may have rolled into Finch Farm earlier this week but despite having to cope with endless requests for interviews, the players have not let their gaze be distracted and Hibbert hasn’t even allowed himself to entertain the idea that he might end up a Cup winner come Saturday evening.

. “It’s just a great feeling to be at Wembley in a final,” he said who will take things in his stride. “It’s been so hectic that I haven’t thought about this or that.

“Everyone has been trying to stay calm and relaxed but the place is bubbling and it’s been so important to keep focused. That will be the same on the day itself.”

And it will be the same as it has been in every round so far – despite having to scale many peaks, Everton remain on course to bring some silverware back to Goodison and Hibbert feels the run they have been on speaks volumes for the squad’s character.

“Being in the FA Cup final is something special,” said Hibbert. “The teams that we have beaten to get there shows the character we have in this place; the team spirit is second to none.

“We have all stuck together and the training ground has been absolutely buzzing in the last couple of weeks; we have beaten a lot of the top teams to get to the final and you can see we have got a great bunch of lads – on and off the pitch.”