OLVESTON-BASED professional footballer Gary Warren will realise a boyhood dream on Saturday when he steps onto the hallowed Wembley turf.

The Newport County skipper will lead out the Blue Square Premier side in the FA Trophy Final against York City and hopes to make the walk up the famous steps to lift the most prestigious cup in non-league football.

Having been to watch two games at the new Wembley, and attending a press day ahead of the final, Warren has been given a taste of what to expect, but admits it hasn’t sunk in yet that he will be playing in the most iconic stadium in the world for the first time in his career.

“It will take until after the game – maybe a couple of days after – until it hits home that I played at Wembley,” said the 27-year-old defender.

“To lead out the team will be an amazing memory for me and something I’ve always dreamt of doing.

“Lifting the cup would be something else, but as a team we’re going there to win the Trophy, not for a nice day out.

“When you work hard to get somewhere you go there to win it.”

Warren saw Bristol Rovers win the League Two play-off final at the new Wembley in 2007 and also watched England beat Andorra 6-0 under the arch three years ago.

He saw his first ever game at FA headquarters when Rovers lost 2-1 to Tranmere in the Leyland Daf Trophy as a five-year-old in 1990 and has wanted to play there ever since.

Although the famous twin towers were knocked down with the old stadium in 2000, Warren was impressed by what he saw on his recent trip to Wembley and cannot wait to get on the pitch.

“As it gets closer and closer I’m getting more and more excited,” he said.

“Having been there on the press day looking at the surroundings you see how big the setup is and it’s unbelievable. “You look at the changing rooms and you see how modern it is and as a footballer it’s a dream to play in places like that.

“The old one had more character with the twin towers, but this one is brand new.”

Playing on the big stage is nothing unusual for Warren as he captained Great Britain to a silver medal at the World University Games in China last year and the final against Japan was watched by 35,000 in the stadium.

He also won a bronze medal while representing his country in Serbia at the 2009 competition.

Warren hopes to use those experiences to help Newport upset the odds against a York side that are gunning for a place in the Football League after beating Mansfield over two legs to reach the play-off final at the same ground.

“They will be the favourites, but the team who deals with the pressure of the atmosphere best will come out on top,” he said.

“Having that opportunity of going to China helped me out.

“Playing in front of 35,000 gives me a little edge and I won’t be phased.”