Steven Schumacher will be just the third manager in Plymouth Argyle’s 137-year history to lead them out at Wembley.
The former Everton youngster has managed the feat in his first full year as manager after making the step up to the role after being Ryan Lowe’s assistant at Home Park.
It has been a whirlwind career already for the 38-year-old and an equally "mad", as he describes it, five years since taking his steps on the coaching ladder.
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The Pilgrims will play under the famous arch in April, ending their seven-year wait for a return to the capital having only managed to play at Wembley two other times in the last 26 years.
Plymouth booked their place in the Papa John’s Trophy final as they edged past Cheltenham in the semi-final thanks to penalty heroics from Callum Burton.
"It was mad, it was one of them games," Schumacher exclusively told the ECHO. "Cheltenham came with a good game plan, they got themselves in front, we had a lot of the possession and a lot of chances but just didn’t go in, we made substitutions our leading goalscorer [Ryan Hardie] came on the pitch, scored a worldie goal to get back into it.
"Then we did everything to try get the winner but we just didn’t manage to get that goal, we hit the post and a couple of big chances that didn’t go in.
"When it goes to a penalty shootout, it’s a lottery, it swung both ways, both teams missed penalties, we had a penalty to win it with the last kick - hit the crossbar - and I’m thinking it isn’t going to be our night, it’s going to be one of them.
"Then our goalkeeper [Callum Burton] saved the very next penalty which put us into the final. It was a great night, our fans all enjoyed it, ran onto the pitch, everyone celebrated - this is only the third time that Plymouth Argyle have ever played at Wembley, to be the manager on that day, it’s something I’m going to be really proud."
A pitch invasion ensued as Burton dived to his right battering away Alfie May’s decisive penalty with an outstretched left-hand. The shootout was on a knife edge after Jordan Houghton missed the chance to send Plymouth to Wembley after Cheltenham missed their previous two spot kicks until the 26-year-old shot-stopper was on hand to be the hero.
Bolton Wanderers overcame Accrington Stanley in the other semi-final as goals from Elias Kachunga and Aaron Morley late on booked their place alongside Argyle.
Schumacher, a lifelong Evertonian, walked through the doors at Bellefield as an eight-year-old and played right through the age groups until 20 when he eventually departed.
He featured alongside Wayne Rooney during his youth team days as his squad, under Colin Harvey, remains as the last group of young Blues to make the Youth Cup final in 2002.
The Kirkby-born midfielder was never to make an appearance for his boyhood club as he departed under David Moyes. His professional playing career didn’t end there as he went on to turn out over 450 times at the likes of Bradford City, Crewe Alexandra, Bury, Fleetwood Town and Stevenage.
"It was brilliant, I loved it. Playing for the club that I supported as a lad, all I ever wanted to do was to play for Everton and make it in the first-team. I felt as though I had a good chance.
"I think everyone was matched up against Wayne [Rooney], he was the standard and if they felt you wasn’t Wayne’s standard then you’re maybe not ready for the first-team," the 38-year-old explains, discussing the situation surrounding his Everton exit.
"We didn’t get any other opportunities, Wayne obviously went on to be one of the best players this country has ever produced, the rest of the players didn’t really get a first-team opportunity and had to leave to go find a career."
He added: "I’d been away with England at an international tournament and I went back in pre-season, I probably wasn’t as fit as I needed to be.
"It was my first full-time pre-season with Everton, my level wasn’t ready, I probably didn’t play as well as I could’ve done in that last season then when David Moyes spoke to me and told me he wasn’t going to offer a new contract, I felt that with that experience I’d have come back stronger.
"But he said he didn’t want me to waste another year of my career by playing reserve team football or on short-term loans, he felt like my future lay elsewhere, that was fine."
For Schumacher, he was forced to decide whether to look for a new job or try to forge a career in the professional game, the latter being non-negotiable - something he managed for over 15 years. After his time was up at Stevenage, Schumacher turned down an extension as he looked to return to the North West.
He was offered a full-time Academy coach role with the Blues’ U11s but carried on playing part-time with Southport. With ambitions of playing in the Premier League fading to being a manager in the English top flight, his professional coaching journey had begun.
After six months and one game as caretaker manager at Haig Avenue alongside his time at Finch Farm, Lowe offered him the opportunity with the Shakers which was a "big risk", according to the youngster who captained the Three Lions and the Blues at youth level.
Alongside the now Preston North End manager, the pair steered them through tricky waters and earned promotion to League One despite the financial turmoil surrounding the club. Prior to the 2019-20, they swapped Gigg Lane for Home Park.
Fast forward four years, he’s moved from the assistant manager's role to the hot seat and a year on, they sit second in League One three points behind the league leaders with a date at Wembley pencilled in.
Schumacher said: "It was always my goal to be a first-team coach. I was an assistant manager and now I’m a manager so I always had the ambition to try be the best I can be and to be a number one, it’s happened really fast.
"I think if I didn’t take a risk when I first apart of Ryan Lowe’s coaching staff, if I didn’t take that gamble, stayed at Everton U11s - which I’d have enjoyed don’t get me wrong, I loved it - if I didn’t take that risk, I wouldn’t be sat where I am today."
Schumacher will return to 90,000 capacity stadium after following the Blues on their pursuit of silverware at Wembley. It will be his first time as a manager having reached the playoff final with Fleetwood Town but a match he didn’t feature in as he was an unused substitute - a regret that lives with Schumacher but April 2nd provides a chance at redemption.
He said: "Being an Everton fan I’ve been there a few times - not too many - not enough but I’ve had some good and bad experiences at Wembley.
"As a player, I only got to play there once, I was on the bench in the playoff final for Fleetwood Town, we won that game and got promoted into League One but I never got on the pitch, it was something I regretted, I said I’d have loved to come back there one day as a player, I didn’t manage it.
"Now in my first full year as a manager, I’m going to lead our team out at Wembley. I can’t wait, looking forward to it, a few nerves but we’ll go do our best and hopefully win the trophy for our fans."
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