Jermain Defoe has revealed that missing out on FA Cup glory with Portsmouth seven years ago has intensified his hunger to fire Sunderland to the trophy this season.
The 32-year-old had to watch on from the stands at Wembley as his Pompey teammates defeated Cardiff City 1-0 to secure the cup back in 2008.
Defoe joined on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January and played nine minutes of their fourth-round loss to Manchester United, meaning that he was ineligible for action in Portsmouth's road to success.
Consequently, the former Spurs hitman says that he will draw on that disappointment as motivation to lift the trophy with the Black Cats ahead of today's clash with Fulham.
"Yes, I was cup-tied," he told The Mirror. "And yeah, I was gutted! It was really hard to be honest. I still lifted the trophy though! I was in my suit and I lifted it!
"That kind of thing makes you more hungry to do well. It was really hard, you know. I was happy for the boys, happy for the team and I was a part of it, even though I didn't play.
"The whole day was special – you want many more of those days. I look forward to this game against Fulham and hopefully we can progress."
Sunderland, two-time winners of the competition, last won it back in 1973.
Shane Callaghan
