Wales captain Gary Speed watched from the stands as a 15-year-old boy the last time his country played England 20 years ago. This Saturday at Old Trafford Speed, now a veteran of 83 internationals, will lead his team out for their crunch World Cup qualifier.
But Speed is determined his team will not get caught up in the emotion of the occasion.
It has been a disappointing start to Wales' 2006 World Cup qualification campaign - with draws against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland - and Speed is fully focused on picking up some badly needed points.
"There have only been two games but we slipped up in both of them," Speed told BBC Sport.
"That means we have to pick up points elsewhere - and that elsewhere is England on Saturday and Poland four days later.
"We need a minimum of four points from the two games and whether we pick up the win against England or Poland it does not matter."
Speed is quick to acknowledge how much the game means to his people - "It would be a massive achievement for the team and the whole country" - but he knows a substantial improvement is needed if Wales are to win.
"We will obviously look at England and their strengths and weaknesses," he added.
"But that will be it - because if we play as we did over our last two games we are going to get beat so we have to concentrate on our own performance and make sure we improve."
 |  As daft as it may seem I'm glad Rooney will be playing |
Wales have already experienced the extra sense of occasion when home nations meet - and the 2-2 draw with Northern Ireland saw three players sent-off by Italian referee Domenico Messina.
Speed expects another game that bears closer resemblance to the hustle and bustle of the Premiership than the more measured approach normally associated with international football.
"It is important to realise that although it might be a British-type game the officials will be European and so you might not be able too get away with as much as you can in the Premier League.
"You saw that against Northern Ireland and we have got to go about it in a professional manner against England.
"I expect a great atmosphere and there will be a lot of build up to the match so I expect the game to start very quickly."
Speed also expects to come up against Wayne Rooney, fit again and in form after his Champions League hat-trick on his Manchester United debut.
"As daft as it may seem I'm glad Rooney will be playing," added the Wales skipper. "You always want to test yourselves against the best players and he is fantastic."
The games against England and Poland mark the end of Mark Hughes' tenure as coach of the team before he concentrates solely on his role as Blackburn manager.
Speed believes the team have improved considerably under Hughes, particularly in the way they prepare - and hopes the players can send the coach off on a high.
But when it comes to the question of succession Speed - who has been heavily linked with the job - is refusing to look beyond the two crucial qualifying games.
"Obviously I'm flattered but I'm not thinking at all about that. That is firmly out of my mind at the moment.
"It is important the players don't think beyond the next two games."
Speed's professionalism and focus is admirable - and if the 35-year-old gets his way on Saturday it will be a bleak afternoon for English football just as it was at Wrexham 20 years ago.
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