Pistone plans to atone for final despair

Alessandro Pistone's return from injury to the Everton first team cannot have come at a better time with the Italian determined to erase the memory of failure at the final hurdle in the FA Cup.

The 29-year-old full-back is hoping to retain his place for today's home tie against Fulham as he looks to go one better than in 1998 when he was part of the Newcastle side beaten in the final by Arsenal. Nearly six years on he has not forgotten the magic of the occasion, and the pain of defeat.

"As a foreign player, people think that we do not understand the Cup. But that is nonsense," said Pistone. "I know how important it is, and the tradition. You can feel the atmosphere and the pressure. I have great memories of playing in a Cup final for Newcastle at Wembley. We lost then but I enjoyed every moment. Obviously I'd love to get to the final again and play at Cardiff. It was an unbelievable atmosphere, unreal."

Just to be playing again has delighted Pistone, who has spent much of the past two seasons suffering injuries. His latest setback was a shoulder problem and he only reclaimed the right-back berth from Tony Hibbert last weekend in the defeat by Charlton.

He said: "It is very important now for me to get some games under my belt after being out so long. But the main thing is for Everton to get some wins under their belt, too. Starting in the Cup, because a win against Fulham is very important for the club.

"Unfortunately I have had some injuries, two hernia operations and a shoulder problem. It has been frustrating, but they are not what you would call really bad injuries."

Pistone believes Everton have as much chance of reaching the final as any of their Premiership rivals. "Maybe the biggest clubs concentrate more on the League so there is a chance for the rest of us."

Meanwhile, Alex Rae is hoping to sign a new contract with Wolves and finish his career at Molineux. The 34-year-old is enjoying some of the most impressive form of his professional career which began at Bishopbriggs in 1986 before transfers to Falkirk, Millwall, Sunderland and latterly Wolves who splashed out £1.2m on Rae in 2001.

Curiously, the terrier-like midfielder, whose current contract runs out at the end of the season, has never earned a full Scotland cap. But Rae believes rubbing shoulders with veteran campaigners and team-mates Denis Irwin and Paul Ince - who are aged 38 and 36 respectively - has provided the inspiration to extend his playing career.

"I'm fighting for my future here at the moment," said the Glaswegian as he prepared for today's FA Cup tie against West Ham. "But without a doubt I could see myself ending my career at Wolves if I could get another contract. If things are right for me then I'll play for just as long as I can because I love playing."

Rae currently leads Wolves' scoring chart with eight goals in all competitions this term, including the last-gasp strike which spared Wolves' blushes at Kidderminster and secured a third-round replay in which Harriers were beaten 2-0. "I've got a few goals so far this season and that's been pleasing, a real plus point because I'd never been able to score regular goals in the Premiership. The goal at Aggborough was important because I would not like to have lost to Kidderminster and been part of a side who had been beaten by underdogs. That's never happened to me and I didn't want it to."