Rather than be fazed by it, Lewis Hornby – who only turned 18 last month – can’t wait to perform under the white-hot Wembley pressure on Saturday afternoon.
Hornby was given the full 90 minutes in the crunch game at Port Vale last month, as the Cobblers very nearly rained on the Valiants’ promotion party in front of a 12,000-plus crowd.
Significantly more people will be at Wembley on Saturday, but the principle is the same and Hornby can’t wait to feel the heat.
“This game is going to be a lot like our last few games of the season,” said the talented teenager.
“They had big crowds and big atmospheres and it is a big pressure game.
“The manager looks to you in those matches to see if you can deal with the situation.
“I prefer to play in matches like that.
“It raises your performance levels because you can hear the buzz about the place and it makes you want to do things better.”
Regardless of how much Wembley action he sees, this has been an excellent season for Hornby.
He was given his start in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game in October and has not really looked back, making 28 appearances and scooping the club’s young player of the year award.
The main lesson Hornby has learned during his first year as a professional is learning the game’s highs and lows.
“It’s been about learning the ups and downs of football,” he said.
“One week you can be a hero and the next you’re the worst player in the world.
“If you play well in one game, people expect you do to it every week and it’s not really like that.
“You have success and failure and you have to learn to deal with both.
“You have to keep your head down and work hard. The amount of games I’ve played this season should help me next year.”
Read this interview and many more in the 32-page Wembley play-off final souvenir pull-out, which is FREE inside today’s Chronicle & Echo.