Central-midfielder David Perkins believes previous Wembley Stadium experiences will work in Tranmere Rovers’ favour during Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two Play-Off Final against Newport County.
Micky Mellon’s men head to the capital just one game away from a back-to-back promotion-winning campaign and a place in Sky Bet League One next season.
Tranmere reached the home of English football for a third straight campaign after overcoming Forest Green Rovers 2-1 on aggregate over two Play-Off semi-final legs.
The 36-year-old, who signed from Rochdale in January, is confident that given TRFC’s recent experiences at Saturday’s venue, it could give them an advantage over Michael Flynn’s Exiles.
Perkins said: “I think we’ll go down there, a lot of the lads have been there before, it won’t overwhelmed them, they know what’s going on there, we aren’t there for a day out, we are there to win the game.
“If you are keeping clean sheets and scoring goals at the other end so if you have got that combination, you won’t go too far wrong.
“I’ll be there to do a job and it will be as simple as that, I’ll try and not let the occasion get to me too much, it’s Wembley but it’s just another game and if we win, that’s when we can take all the celebrations, but we’re going down there to win the game.”
Perkins was the first January recruit at Prenton Park and even then, the two-time promotion-winner with Wigan Athletic from Sky Bet League One, knew that Tranmere’s squad had the potential to reach the Play-Offs.
Tranmere went on a winning run of seven straight games throughout February and March, form which lifted them inside the top seven to eventually finish sixth.
He added: “To be honest that’s what the manager’s intentions were, bringing me and others in to strengthen the side and strengthen the squad to make the Play-Offs, he was pretty adamant about that so that was my job when I came in and that’s what we’ve achieved so far.”
Rovers will be backed by thousands of the SWA who will make the journey down from the Wirral to see Tranmere at Wembley Stadium for the third year in a row.
And the Heysham-native says that the SWA will have a key part to play against the Welsh side.
“The lads did tremendous to get promoted out of the Conference, to take that momentum they just needed a couple of lads to help them along to get in the Play-Offs.
They (the SWA) have been fantastic. Their home support has been incredible, and they have a massive part to play on Saturday as they have done for whole time which I have been here.”
You can watch David's full interview here