Mark Draper believes Villa can stun Manchester United in the Carling Cup final and win silverware for the first time since he lifted the trophy with the club.

Some 14 years have passed since former midfielder Draper was part of the team that beat Leeds at Wembley in 1996, and it’s eight years since the club have even appeared in a major final since.

Now the Class of 2010 have a real chance of ending that drought on Sunday, when they square up to the might of holders Manchester United at the national stadium.

Villa go into the match as underdogs, but are unbeaten against the Red Devils in two Premier League meetings this season, an historic win at Old Trafford followed by a home draw two weeks ago.

And Draper, now kit man at Notts County, believes that the claret and blues have what it takes to make it the most important hat-trick of all.

He said: “You look at it and have to say Manchester United are the favourites, but it’s 90 minutes of football and anything for happen.

“Villa will be very tough to beat, they are a fit and young side, with a manager there that will have them well organised and knows the game inside out.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they can pull it off and I hope they do.”

Draper came Villa in the summer of 1995 as a £3.25million signing from relegated Leicester City, to be reunited with boss Brian Little after the pair had worked together for the Foxes.

His first season at the club ended with the club’s last silverware to date and the playmaker started as he meant to go on, scoring on his debut as Villa opened the season with a 3-1 home win.

The opponents that day? Manchester United.

He said: “It was the best season of my career, without a doubt. Villa nearly went down the season before, but I was one of a number of players coming into the club and we turned it around.

“For a debut it was incredible, it was a full house at Villa Park and that us confidence to take into the rest of the season.

“We won the League Cup, got to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and finished fourth in the Premier League.

“How many Villa fans would settle for the same again this season?”

Draper went on to break into the England squad that September, for a game in Moldova which marked the international debut of David Beckham, but failed to win a cap.

But Little resigned in 1998 and John Gregory, who was a first-team coach in Draper’s time at Leicester and his early days at Villa Park, took charge as boss.

That proved to be the end of his time as a first-team regular and, after being loaned out to Spanish club Rayo Vallecano, was sold to Southampton for £1.5million in the summer of 2000.

The consensus was that Gregory and Draper had long since fell out, after just one appearance in his final season, and it’s something that the player doesn’t deny.

He said: “I got on fine with John when he was a coach, but as soon as he took over as manager things didn’t work out between us, for one reason or another.

“I wasn’t playing either, so I knew it was time to move on.”

By Craig Birch