Imagine clocking in for your shift at Wembley Stadium, only to realize you're not there to fix the escalators—you're there to captain your team in a cup final. That's the surreal reality for Jay Lovell, a 33-year-old defender who traded his engineer's toolkit for a captain's armband this Sunday.

Lovell, an escalator engineer from Hertfordshire, typically spends matchdays at Wembley ensuring the stadium's lifts run smoothly. But when his club, Cockfosters from Enfield, clinched a spot in the FA Vase final against AFC Stoneham, everything changed. Instead of reporting for duty behind the scenes, Lovell will lead his team onto the hallowed turf—a dream he once thought was as unlikely as "winning the lottery."

"Don't put me in the same category as those two!" Lovell laughs, deflecting comparisons to legends like Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, who also captained sides at Wembley. Yet, on Sunday, he'll join that exclusive club, walking out as a leader in a national final.

Cockfosters earned their place by defeating Punjab United 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, marking the club's first-ever FA Vase final appearance. For Lovell, a father of two with over 15 years in non-league football, the moment is nothing short of miraculous. He recalls being on site for last year's final, silently wondering if he'd ever get his chance. "There is a silence, and you think, 'I could actually get here one day,'" he says.

Now, his colleagues are rallying behind him. "All of the lads are coming to watch me," Lovell shares. "We've passed the job on to someone else." Even his boss got in on the banter: "Having a two-hour break to go and play football, are you?"

From maintaining escalators to lifting a trophy, Lovell's journey is a testament to the magic of the beautiful game—and a reminder that sometimes, the best shifts are the ones you never clock in for.