Liverpool midfielder James Milner has rallied the team ahead of the Reds’ Super Cup showdown with Chelsea in Istanbul this week.
The Yorkshireman wants Liverpool to get into the ‘habit of winning trophies’ and is eyeing up another European cup after bringing home the Champions League trophy.
“I think [it’s] very important – I think you want to get in[to] that habit of winning trophies,” the midfielder told UEFA – as per the club’s official website.
“I think the Super Cup’s a special trophy to win because you’ve got to win a big trophy to get there as well, so I think it’s important.
“[We’re] Playing against another top team, another English team, obviously, again.
“I think it’s a good way to start the season if you can win a trophy and it’s more silverware for the club if you can do that.”
Chelsea didn’t get their Premier League campaign off to a good start as the Londoners fell 4-0 to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season.
The Blues didn’t look like their usual selves, and, if they perform in the same way against Liverpool, it could be a doulbe embarrassment for them.
Not that we’d mind, of course, but Milner does expect Chelsea to find their form against us – which would be very typical. “We know it’ll be a tough game and two good teams, early in the season which is never easy as well,” he said.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of players away from both teams in various tournaments in the summer, so it’s always a tough time of the season with players at different stages of their fitness and [having had] different [amounts of] time-off and things like that, but it’s the sort of game where everyone will click in straight away and be ready for it.
“And at that level, no matter how long you’ve had off, just because of what a good game it’ll be to play [in] and [it’s] a chance to win silverware and [there will be] a great atmosphere as well.
“It’s important to get a good start to the season and there’s nothing better than winning a game like that.”