EXPERIENCED campaigner Sam Ricketts hopes his knowledge of Wembley will come in handy ahead of Swindon Town’s play-off final against Preston.

The 33-year-old previously played in a League One play-off final defeat with Swansea City before achieving promotion to the Premiership with Hull City via a play-off victory over Bristol City at Wembley in 2008.

Ricketts, who joined Swindon on loan in March until the end of the season, is confident that the Robins’ young team can rise to the occasion and overcome North End.

The team visited Wembley today to have a look around the changing rooms and get used to their surroundings, ensuring it is not too much of a shock for the younger players on Sunday.

“I have spoken to some of the younger players and gradually, as the game gets closer, I’m sure I might start to speak a little bit more to them,” Ricketts said.

“If anyone has any questions, hopefully I’ll be able to help them out as much as possible, but we went to Wembley just to have a look around on Wednesday and hopefully that will nullify a lot of the questions they have.

“You get the tourist bits out of the way; the pictures, seeing the changing rooms and the pitch, and take it from there. Hopefully, that will mean that when we arrive on Sunday, we are just fully focused on the game.

“We also have players - not just myself but Massimo (Luongo) has obviously gone off and played with Australia in big games and Yaser (Kasim) with Iraq as well - who have played in big games and will hopefully use that experience in this game.”

Ricketts believes it is important that Swindon continue to play in the style they have done all season in the final but added that his play-off final defeat with Swansea was proof that anything can happen in a one-off game.

“There are no guarantees in football at all,” said Ricketts. “I’ve played in a play-off final where my team had 21 shots and the opposition, I think, had three or four.

“We ended up drawing 2-2 and losing on penalties, so all you can try and do is put a performance in and hopefully the result will take care of itself. We want to start the game well and get some confidence to allow the team to play the way we know that we can.

“Any promotion is a big event and when you look back on your career, you look at certain milestones and things you’ve achieved - promotions, playing in the Premier League, international honours - and they are things you look back on fondly.”