“I've got to pinch myself now because of how long ago it was, but it still feels like yesterday!" Holloway – now manager of Swindon Town – laughs.
"The club colours are so vibrant, and so memorable in your mind. The red and blue was everywhere. It was just incredible. I'm very, very thankful, and I'm very, very lucky to have been a part of the club at the time.
“I’m absolutely delighted to see the progress since, where Palace are going now – to Wembley, in another final. Absolutely crazy.
"I'm so proud of the club to see where it is now, and the longevity that is being given by very ambitious, forward-thinking owners, which a lot of people haven't got – so well done to Steve Parish and the board of directors.
"Well done to Oliver Glasner too. It’s absolutely fantastic to see the style he’s implemented there. One of my old boys, from when I was a coach at Millwall: Eberechi Eze, wow. You've polished him. What a joy it is that he's getting recognised for how good he is.
“If you can actually win this trophy, it's one of the big ones, if not the biggest one. It’s what we've all dreamed about when we were young, because there were two ways to play at Wembley when I was younger: you either made it to the FA Cup Final or you played for England.
“And Crystal Palace can win the FA Cup. They've just got one more game. Unbelievable.
"I wish you all the very, very best at Wembley. I'll definitely be watching and I'll be cheering on the Palace – the mighty Eagles.”