Gerrad Dreaming Of FA Cup Glory

Steven Gerrad today rejected claims the FA Cup has lost some of its magic by insisting: "I'd love to lift the trophy in Cardiff next month."
Gerrard ended last season hoisting a major trophy above his head and he's hoping history repeats itself this time around with a Liverpool victory at the Millennium Stadium. Chelsea stand in the Reds' way of a place in the final and the Liverpool skipper insists everyone at the club is desperate to win the most talked about club competition in world football. "Speaking personally, the FA Cup is as massive now as it's always been," he said. "It's true to say that since the Champions League started, a lot of the big clubs have had to think harder about their priorities. Everyone knows getting into the top four is essential and all the top clubs have to think carefully about that. If you're in Europe you've always got a lot more big games to play too, so a lot of players get rested more. "That impacts more on the early rounds of the cup competitions, and it's then when you're probably most vulnerable to a shock. We've suffered a bit because of that in the last few years, but the manager always makes the right selections for the good of the club. "I can remember watching on television last season when we lost to Burnley with an under strength team. I was injured anyway, but although we were disappointed, noone can look back and say it wasn't the right thing to do when you think what happened later in that season. "Once you get to the later stages, particularly the semi-final, winning this competition means just as much as winning any other. Every player from both teams will be desperate to get their hands on that trophy." He added: "We've got some good and bad memories of the tournament," he said. "The first FA Cup game I can remember playing was against Blackburn in 2000 when we lost at home. I was playing right-back, and I can remember Nathan Blake scoring for them. "The fans weren't too happy with us at the end, and it wasn't a nice feeling. "As a supporter, the first FA Cup game I remember is the 1986 final when we won the double. "When you're captain, you can't help start thinking about your chances of lifting it, but that's not just a personal thing, you're thinking on behalf of the team and supporters too. "I know if I get a chance to lift it, it means the 50,000 fans we'd have in the stadium, although we usually have more than that, will be very happy. "Whoever wins this game is going to have a great chance of going all the way, so there's a great incentive there for both teams. We both know we're just two wins away from a major trophy."