AS a native of Estonia, Mart Poom grew up watching the flickering images of FA Cup finals on Finnish television.

In those pre-glasnost years, Soviet state TV blocked coverage of the Wembley showpiece.

But Poom never stopped dreaming that, one day, he would make a Cup final appearance of his own.

Now, with Sunderland preparing to host Sheffield United tomorrow in the last eight of the world's oldest Cup competition, the 32-year-old goalkeeper is clinging to the hope that he can fulfil a lifelong ambition.

Signed by former Black Cats boss Howard Wilkinson from Derby County for £2.5m in January last year, Poom has emerged as a cult figure among the Wearside faithful.

He has played no small part in Sunderland's Cup run, performing heroics in the 1-0 home victory over Hartlepool United in the third round with a string of crucial saves and the prodigious clearance which set up Julio Arca to score.

Injury denied Poom a piece of the action when Derby reached the quarter-finals five years ago. "I didn't play because I was on the bench with a broken finger,'' recalled Poom. "We lost 1-0 away to Arsenal.

"I was disappointed because I remember watching the FA Cup finals at Wembley when I was young. The FA Cup gets coverage all over the world, especially the final.

"When I was growing up in Estonia, I managed to watch the final on Finnish TV because it was a special occasion.

"Wembley was like a holy place for football and every boy dreamed of playing there. The royal family was always there presenting the trophy.

"The competition has a great history and when you saw a full house at Wembley and the atmosphere and excitement, you dreamt about it, just to have the chance to play there one day.''

The Millennium Stadium has adopted the Cup final while Wembley is rebuilt, and Poom warned the road to Cardiff is still a tricky one. He said: "We know Sheffield United are a great Cup side. They got to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and League Cup last season and they are ahead of us in the League table, so it will be a very tight and difficult game.''

Poom admits that the Cup run could affect Sunderland's promotion prospects. "It could be a distraction, but it depends how we do,'' he said. "If you win and progress, I think winning boosts confidence for your League games.

"If you keep winning you don't feel so tired. It could go either way, but we are positive.

"If we get through, it will give us a lift for our three home games against Preston, West Ham and Stoke - the games are coming thick and fast now. We're not clear favourites in this tie. The League has been our main priority and, if we get to the semi-finals, we have important games before that.

"Hopefully, at the end of the season, we will have something to be proud of.''

Poom paid tribute to manager Mick McCarthy, who took over from Wilkinson almost a year ago.

"I think Mick has done tremendously well,'' said Poom. "He has changed the club around and it needed changes after the bitter disappointment of relegation.

"A lot of players had to go and we had to regroup and bounce back straight away, and I think the players have responded to Mick.

"He's a passionate and honest manager and that's what players like. I think he has been the right man for the club.''

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