Craig: I won't be judged on medals
Craig Bellamy insists his career will not be defined by medals as he attempts to collect a first major trophy in English football.
The 32-year-old should be fit to face hometown club Cardiff City at Wembley on Sunday when he will look to add a Carling Cup medal to the Charity Shield and Scottish Cup already in his collection.
But Bellamy told reporters at Anfield: "I've enjoyed my career. Is my career defined by trophies? No, not at all, and it never will be. I just set out and try and win every game I can, and if I win trophies, great.
"I am very fortunate to have played football. I've achieved more than I could have ever set out to. You said about the Scottish Cup but I don't even know where that medal is.
"I've just felt so relaxed going about my football this season. I've tried to enjoy it as much as I can because this won't be around forever. I'm very fortunate to have realised this while I'm still playing.
"I just take every day as it comes. You might think you have to win trophies and I'm a failure if I don't - no, far from it. I've gone with that attitude over the last few months and it's amazing how I manage to get into a final thinking like that.
"I'm going to carry on taking that approach, trying to work as hard as I can in each game and if I win, great, and if I don't I can walk away and enjoy it by knowing I've worked as hard as I could and given my all for the team."
Bellamy missed Sunday's victory over Brighton due to injury having decided to undergo treatment before a busy set of fixtures for club and country.
"I'm fine," he said. "We have a lot of games coming up, not just the Carling Cup final. I have an international game straight away, then Arsenal. It's a busy run of games yet again so it was a case of getting it sorted now.
"I start training on Thursday and am fine at the moment."
Bellamy spent the whole of last season on loan at Cardiff, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Sunday is bound to be a special occasion.
"It will be a strange situation because it'll be the first time I've ever played against them," he said. "My father is a Cardiff fan and it's the club I used to go to when I was very young.
"I set one ambition to play for them and I was able to do that, and it's funny how football can work out sometimes.
"But I've got to be involved - I might not be on the pitch. We'll see if I'm playing or if I get on.
"It's a great final. Football can sometimes be very unpredictable - I didn't ever look at this or plan to play a cup final against Cardiff. This year it's just happened.
"It's another occasion for this incredible football club to add to the history and the medals and trophies we've already been able to amass over the years.
"It's another great occasion for us but it's an incredible occasion for Cardiff City.
"I set an ambition to play for Cardiff City. I didn't plan when I was going to do it - I'd have liked it to be at the start of my career. It wasn't something I had to go and do - I fulfilled a dream by playing for them and I was very fortunate to do so."
Asked by journalists if he would celebrate scoring a goal against his old club, Bellamy added: "I certainly won't. But I tried not to against Man City, I tried to hold myself back. And really I didn't celebrate. The occasion and the moment sometimes gets you a bit carried away.
"But I've got to be on the pitch first before I can think about scoring!"
Liverpool were drawn to play away from home during every stage of the competition until the two-legged semi-final against league leaders Manchester City.
Bellamy said: "We've worked hard to get in this position. Every single player has worked hard to get us to this stage.
"Every game has been away - Stoke away was tough. People talk about this competition not being the strongest but all the teams we've played have been strong. Stoke had their best team out, with maybe one or two out. Chelsea were strong at Stamford Bridge. We had City over two legs. Did Manchester City play the best players they had available at that time? Of course they did.
"We've earned the right to get to this final. We've gone and attacked this competition and hopefully we can finish it off in the final."