David Nugent reveals 'madness' of winning FA Cup with Portsmouth - and why he thought his Fratton Park days were numbered yet again just months earlier

The striker said he thought then Blues manager Harry Redknapp would have sold him in January 2008, after bringing in forward duo Jermain Defoe from Spurs and Lyon’s Milan Baros on loan.

They were signed to boost Pompey’s attack - something Nugent had struggled to do following his move from Preston in the summer of 2007 for a fee in the region of £6m.

The England international had netted only three times in 16 appearances prior to Defoe’s last-gasp arrival - with none of them coming in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, he revealed last week that a ‘mistake’ he made in the early part of his Blues career nearly saw him end up at Derby just weeks after his Fratton Park arrival.

Nugent would only feature a further six times in the second half of the 2007-08 season, with a hernia operation ruling him out for two months.

Nevertheless, he made substitute appearances in the semi-final win against West Brom and the final itself against the Bluesbirds, with Defoe cup-tied following appearances for Spurs in previous rounds.

And despite being on the fringes of the team, Nugent admitted he was just delighted to be part of a magical time in Pompey’s history - even if his memory of those events is slightly blurred after more than 10 years!

The 34-year-old told Sky Bet: ‘In January I thought I was going to be off.

‘They signed Jermain Defoe and Milan Baros, but Milan Baros was cup-tied so he couldn’t play (in the FA Cup).

‘So every time there was a cup game I’d come into the squad.

‘In the third round I think we played Ipswich away and I scored the winner.

‘So that got us up and running and then obviously we beat Man United (in the quarter-finals).

‘We were hot favourites (against Cardiff in the final)

‘Kanu again scored the winner and I came on for the last 25 minutes, almost scored and again, what a surreal experience.

‘You know, playing at Wembley twice - the semi-final and final - winning it, lifting the cup, going up the steps and seeing all my family there to watch it, I loved every minute of it.

‘Lifting the cup - I’ve got like a book at home with all the photos and that,pictures hanging up and in a frame.

‘So yeah, ‘winning it, walking up the steps and getting your hand on the cup, it was madness - up there like one of the best moments.’

Nugent went to make 93 appearances for Pompey, scoring 20 goals, before his contract expired at the end of the 201-11 season.