McManaman urges LFC to “bring home the cups”

The former midfield playmaker won the 1988 competition as a 15-year-old boy with the Reds. And McManaman advised them on how to go about their business. He said: “When I went to Northern Ireland there was a sense of elation and excitement because I was going away with Liverpool as a teenager.

“It was something special – because I was representing the club for the first time in a tournament with other Liverpool players and we were trying our best to impress against other teams. The main thing is to enjoy yourself, get a little bit of experience and to win the trophy. To bring the trophies home.”

At 15 McManaman shot a hat-trick in the competition’s final in a 4-0 victory against Scottish outfit Motherwell. “It was fantastic to score a hat-trick in the final,” said McManaman. “It was probably the last hat-trick that I scored. At 15, I didn’t know if I was going to be a professional footballer so it was the best moment in my life. The most important thing was winning the trophy because it meant that we were doing something correct.”