Gus Poyet's side were beaten 3-1 by Manchester City in the League Cup final at the home of English football on Sunday after Fabio Borini had put them in front.
That was Sunderland's first trip to the new national stadium and they could make a swift return by seeing off Premier League rivals Hull in the FA Cup quarter-final tie at the KC Stadium on Sunday.
He said: "We've got an opportunity to make it to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final, a stage of the competition the club hasn't been in since 1930.
"When you look at it from that perspective, of course Sunday is a big game for us. This is a big game for everybody. I've said it repeatedly, but a good cup run can enhance your season and we've got to try and get through to the semi-finals.
"When you get to the last eight of any competition, you start to smell the hotdogs (at Wembley) and there's nothing bigger than when cup finals are at stake.
"As a manager I've never been past the quarter-finals of this competition, so a Wembley semi-final would be a first for me.
"As a player, I led a team out and lifted a trophy at Wembley and those are the things that stay with you forever.
"If we beat Sunderland, we'll be going to Wembley so my players have to grasp the occasion and play well on Sunday. You need a bit of luck in the cup as well and it's all to play for.
"We'll be looking to produce a big performance and the crowd can play their part too in helping us get to where we want to be."
Poyet's Sunderland side will have to tighten up at the back after shipping seven goals in their last two games against City and Arsenal - where they were beaten 4-1 in their last Premier League encounter.
