Whatever happens in Saturday's final against Cardiff City, Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin has already made his mark on this season's FA Cup.

It was the Frenchman's amazing - and unwitting - goalline clearance that somehow stopped Michael Carrick from scoring for Manchester United in Pompey's astonishing quarter-final win at Old Trafford.

Now the former Newcastle and Manchester City centre-back is looking to avoid a similar shock result against the Welsh side at Wembley.

Cup upsets are something Distin knows all about after winning the French League Cup with second division side Gueugnon in 2000 and he is wary of the Bluebirds's threat.

"We beat Paris St Germain, who were a top four club at the time, in the final," Distin told BBC Sport. "It was a bit like Cardiff beating United, not us."

"The secret? You have to perform and it has to be a good day for everybody - you need a bit of luck and maybe they underestimated us.

"We had good footballers and we had belief which is the most important thing."

"I know Cardiff will have that as well though. It is going to be a huge opportunity for them to prove people wrong because everyone thinks we are going to win.

"People will be happy if we lose because they believe that a small side winning the Cup is good for football."

If Harry Redknapp's team do win the Cup for the first time in 69 years, however, Distin has pledged to make the most of the moment.

"With Gueugnon I probably did not celebrate enough," Distin added. "I went out with my friends, family and the players but the next day I went away on holiday and forgot about it.

"I wish I had celebrated it a bit more because it was a special moment and they do not happen too often."

That success was still Distin's passport to the big-time, albeit late in his career.

He had been released by PSG as a teenager, and scraped a living as a part-time player and youth coach with Joue-les-Tours in the fourth regional tier of French football before signing for Gueugnon.

But their remarkable cup run persuaded PSG to spend £2.5m to re-sign him that summer.

His stylish displays at the back quickly led him to spend a season on loan with Newcastle before a five-year stint at Manchester City - and several Premier League clubs were chasing him when Redknapp brought him to Fratton Park in May 2007.

Distin remembers people questioning his decision to join Pompey but feels their eighth-place Premier League finish and their run to Wembley have more than justified his move.

"I remember when I signed here, some people did not say too much but I could see in their eyes that they were thinking 'Why Portsmouth?'. Today they have their answer.

"For me a big club is where the club is right now, not 20 years ago or more.

"Newcastle and City are both supposed to be bigger clubs but I played for both of them and did not win anything.

"Now I am about to play in my first English cup final with Portsmouth."

At City, Distin forged a solid partnership with Richard Dunne and he has linked up in similar fashion with Sol Campbell at Pompey, winning the players' player of the year award this season.

His pace and effortless style makes him the perfect partner to a more physical centre-back, not that Distin is afraid to go in where it hurts.

He is one of the Premier League's top defenders but, at 30, he accepts he is unlikely to force himself into France coach Raymond Domenech's thoughts, either for Euro 2008 or beyond.

But he insists he does not let his lack of international honours play on his mind as he looks to add to his solitary domestic medal.

"I came into football very late," Distin explained. "I have had no contact and no opportunity with France.

"I suppose if you have a little taste of that and then they don't call any more that you might question why but I don't think about it.

"If it comes, I will be ready for it but if it doesn't, I am happy with how my career has gone and the choices I have made so I am not going to start to have any regret about the French team now.

"Perhaps Domench will watch the Cup final but it will be a shame if it is just going to be that one game."