Matt Smith says it feels "surreal" to be involved in the Heineken Cup Final as a player after watching Leicester Tigers' 2001 triumph as a fan.

The son of former Tigers captain and coach Ian ‘Dosser’ Smith, Matt used to cheer on the team from the Welford Road stands as a youngster.

Now the 23-year-old has been named among in the Tigers 22 for the Heineken Cup Final against Leinster at Murrayfield.

Smith, who has made 30 appearances for Tigers in all competitions this season, said: “I remember watching the Paris final (when Tigers beat Stade Francais in 2001) and hearing plenty of stories about what a great day out it was for the club. It’s a bit surreal now to be involved in something similar.

“You don’t think about occasions like this too much when you start out because you’re just enjoying playing, but the further you get, you hope that one day you could be involved.

“The fact that it’s happened in my first full season of playing a few games for the club means it’s happened in a bit of a hurry, really.”