Nick Montgomery hopes Hibs invite can be sent to Neil Warnock as he looks to banish lingering semi final pain

Twenty years on and Nick Montgomery says Neil Warnock is still seething at a referee’s TACKLE that cost him a first and only appearance in a national cup final.

But the Hibs boss reckons an invite for his old mentor to watch his side go for glory at Hampden next month would be just the ticket to easing both their lingering frustrations over the Blades’ misfortune.

Montgomery was commanding the midfield for Sheffield United when Warnock’s Championship side romped to the 2003 FA Cup semis. Their giant-killing run ended in bizarre circumstances when they were dumped 1-0 by Arsenal with bungling whistler Graham Poll playing a huge part in Freddie Ljungberg’s winner by accidentally blocking a Michael Tonge challenge in the build-up. To make matters worse the Championship Blades had lost the League Cup semi final to a Michael Owen extra time winner for Liverpool only three months earlier.

Those two occasions were the closest Montgomery the player and Warnock the manager have ever come to a major final.

But while the Easter Road boss ultimately ended up empty handed, he insists the experience is serving him well as a boss as he prepares for what he hopes is the first of many trips to Hampden on Saturday.

And should Hibs dispose of Aberdeen at the national stadium and reach the Viaplay Cup Final then the Easter Road manager has been promised Warnock will be top of his list for complimentary briefs.

He said: “To get to the semi-final of the FA Cup and League Cup as a player was something that I look back on with good memories. We beat Liverpool in the League Cup at Bramall Lane but lost the second leg.

“Then the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal at Old Trafford .. I don’t know if anyone can remember the goal Arsenal scored