Exclusive – McManaman claims Carling Cup win better than top four finish

Steve McManaman claims winning the Carling Cup should mean more to Liverpool players than finishing in the top four.

Ahead of this weekend’s final against Cardiff, Craig Bellamy has admitted securing Champions League qualification is the club's top priority this season.

But former Anfield hero McManaman, who tasted League Cup glory in 1995, told talkSPORT on Friday: "For me, winning trophies and being successful is everything. I’ve seen a few interviews that it is not the be-all and end-all but for me as a footballer it was.

“At the start of the Premier League when I played there was no such thing as fourth place got a Champions League spot. It was champions or nothing and then it was the first two or nothing. Now that it is fourth, it is slightly watered down.

“Fourth place is not a success. It’s a success financially and you are giving the fans away trips around Europe possibly the following year, if you get through the qualifying games. But a day out at Wembley and coming home from Wembley with the trophy or coming home as a fan if you have won it, and you are with your father or whatever, these days you will remember for the rest of your lives."

Victory over Cardiff on Sunday will end Liverpool’s six-year wait for a trophy, but McManaman has warned it won’t be an easy task seeing off the Championship side.

“They will be willing to raise their game to the maximum,” he said. “They have got a lot of players there who have got a lot of experience and certainly played in Europe or international matches or the Premier League. This is going to be a very strong Cardiff side.

“Liverpool are favourites and if you saw the performances against Manchester City in the semi finals and Cardiff’s against Crystal Palace in the semi-finals you would think Liverpool should win. But sometimes when you are the overwhelming favourites - and it will be a huge shock if they are beaten - they are always the more dangerous games."