Motherwell manager Graham Alexander had a fine playing career with Preston North End. He won 40 caps for Scotland and didn’t hang up his boots until he was in his 42nd year but the FA Cup success he dreamed about as a boy eluded him as a professional. 

His initial forays into management with Fleetwood Town, Scunthorpe United and Salford City similarly (and predictably) failed to provide much in the way of knock-out glory.

Yet his love of those sudden-death tournaments remains undimmed and he is hoping that tonight’s Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Morton at Fir Park can take he and the Lanarkshire club one step closer to a third final appearance in the competition in ten years.

While the 49-year-old is realistic enough to accept that a title win for the Steelmen is the stuff of fantasy, the cups have traditionally been more democratic when it comes to spreading the silverware around and he is aware of what that success can mean for individuals and communities.

 “The best memory for me came as a supporter when I watched Coventry City beat Spurs in the 1987 final at the age of 15,” he claimed. “It was the game where Keith Houchen scored with that amazing diving header. He couldn’t score for toffee in the league but he was an absolute hero in the Cup that season: I think he scored in virtually every round.

“Because it was such a great goal, everyone nowadays seems to believe that it was the winner but that’s because they forget about [Tottenham defender] Gary Mabbutt’s knee [which deflected a Lloyd McGrath cross over goalkeeper Ray Clemence in extra time].

“I was a season-ticket holder at Highfield Road and I went to all of those games with my mates; Stoke away and Hillsborough twice. It was brilliant and, once we reached the final, I couldn’t miss Wembley.

“That’s why I believe that the love of cup football is embedded in you as a kid. The FA Cup wasn’t kind to me as a player, although I gave it a good go for 24 years! But, in both Scotland and England, the league is a marathon whereas the Cup – especially this year - is a sprint and that makes it more exciting.

“For obvious reasons, it’s been crammed into a short space of time this season but I’m sure every Premiership club and maybe a few others have hopes and ambitions of going all the way.”

The last time Motherwell lifted world football’s oldest trophy was in 1991, when a remarkable 4-3 victory over Dundee United ended a 39-year drought and Alexander understands why the photographs of that afternoon still adorn the walls of the stadium.

“It’s just like 1987 at Coventry,” he said. “Unless you’re Celtic or Rangers up here or Manchester City or United down there, successful years and cup wins mean more to clubs who aren’t always in the limelight.

“Motherwell winning the Scottish Cup three decades ago is still talked about and that team is still revered and the players celebrated, even by fans who weren’t alive at the time. That’s what a cup win does for a club like ours and every manager and player wants to be a part of those special times because they’re the ones you remember for the rest of your life.”

Scotland right-back Stephen O’Donnell, who has committed his future to the Steelmen for another two years, has personal reasons for reaching at least the last four this season.

“I’ve obviously enjoyed playing at Hampden with Scotland but I’ve not been fortunate enough to get there at club level yet,” he said. “We had a couple of opportunities with Kilmarnock – we lost to Hibs and then we were beaten on penalties by Aberdeen – and it’s something I’d love to have on my CV.

“The Old Firm are rightly the favourites to win it every year but, with them paired together [on Sunday], it opens up the draw. We’ll be away to either Hibs or Stranraer if we can get through but we need to make sure we do our jobs.”