Tuesday 26 January 2016 15:45, UK
Stoke boss Mark Hughes has urged his players to grasp their chance against Liverpool and book a Wembley visit in Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield.
The Potters head into the contest trailing 1-0 from the first leg at the Britannia Stadium, with Jordon Ibe's first-half goal giving Jurgen Klopp's side a narrow advantage.
If they can turn the tie around, the Potters would be in a League Cup final for the first time since 1971-72, the season in which they won the competition to secure what is the only major trophy in their history.
And Hughes said on Monday: "It has been 40-odd years, and we remind the players of that because this is an opportunity to make your mark in the game.
"When that presents itself, you really have to grasp it. It is an opportunity we are not going to allow pass by lightly.
"We are going to give it everything - it is a chance for everybody involved here to achieve something that hasn't been achieved for many years.
"And it is important to us because if we can get to a final, win a trophy, then that gives you a winning mentality - you've experienced that as a group and that will help you to continue to progress. It is a big part of what we want to do moving forward."
Hughes admits it is a "big test" that awaits Stoke, whose last victory at Anfield came in 1959, but he believes his side will benefit from the fact that they are in a must-win scenario.
"We are behind in the tie and we know exactly what we have to do," Hughes added. "There is no grey area for us - we have to win. And I think when you are in that situation as a player or a manager, it clears the mind.
"The clarity of what we need to do is going to be an advantage I think. We are going to really push this. If we do what we're good at, we'll run them very close."
