FEW people are better placed to know what Sunday’s game will mean to both sides than Andy Whing.

Spells at Coventry City and Oxford United book-ended his playing career, where he made more than 100 league appearances for each club.

“I’ve had a few texts and messages on social media from Coventry supporters asking which side of the fence I’m on,” he smiled.

“Obviously I’m working for Oxford United, so I’m definitely on that side of the fence.”

It is nearly two years since the combative midfielder was forced to hang up his boots and made the move into coaching.

His new profession means he will not be at Wembley to see the two clubs where he spent most of his career meet – instead he is attending the first session of his UEFA A Licence course.

While he has seen United’s progress under Michael Appleton first-hand, Whing has seen Coventry’s decline from afar.

A slide towards the fourth tier for the first time since the 1950s has been a tough watch for someone who spent a decade at the club from the age of 12.

He said: “I literally lived at the training ground for two years because that’s where the digs for the young lads were.

“Obviously there’s an affinity with the club.

“It was a good club to be at and everyone’s gutted with the way it’s gone.

“When I was playing we finished eighth in the Championship (2005/06) and moving to the Ricoh we were getting up to 30,000 there for big games against Wolves and Leeds.

“Since then it’s been a downward spiral.

“It will be a massive job for Mark Robins to get a bit of stability and feelgood factor back.

“This experience might help them reconnect with the fans.”

The league table will show United as favourites to win the trophy, but Whing thinks Coventry’s otherwise miserable campaign makes them dangerous on Sunday.

He said: “For Coventry it’s the be all and end all.

“I live in Birmingham and I hear about all the newspaper articles and they have been going at it for weeks about this game. It’s really big for them.”

Whing racked up almost 400 appearances in his playing career, but retired with a Wembley-shaped hole in his CV.

If anyone in United’s dressing room is blasé about a second visit to the national stadium in 12 months, 60 seconds with the 32-year-old will set them straight.

“It doesn’t happen for everybody,” he said.

“The closest I got was with Brighton in this competition in 2009, where we lost the area final to Luton on penalties.

“It was devastating. There were definitely tears in the dressing room after the game.

“Being that close to Wembley and not getting there grinds away at me even now.”