Downing: My FA Cup fear
Stewart Downing insists the prospect of ending his career without an FA Cup winners' medal will provide added motivation as he aims to help Liverpool go one better in the competition this year.
The 28-year-old admits the lingering disappointment of narrowly losing last season's final to Chelsea, added to the fear of hanging up his boots having never tasted glory in the tournament, will be at the forefront of his mind when the Reds travel to Oldham for the fourth-round tie on Sunday.
Downing told Liverpoolfc.com: "The older you get, the clock is ticking and when you get to finals you cannot take them for granted because you may never play in one again.
"Some people who have been very good players don't play in one during their whole career, so if you get the opportunity, you've got to take it.
"I've been beaten in the [FA Cup] final and won the Carling Cup a couple of times, but I'd like to get the FA Cup on my CV - that'd be nice."
Downing experienced contrasting emotions in cup finals with Liverpool in 2011-12.
Having lifted the Carling Cup with a penalty shootout victory over Cardiff last February - a game in which the winger scooped the man-of-the-match accolade - the Reds succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup final in May.
"It was painful, especially having played Cardiff and won," said Downing as he reflected on that Wembley disappointment.
"Chelsea were favourites, but we sensed we could win. Andy Carroll had one cleared off the line and we had a few other chances go just past the post, but we left it too late and that was the biggest thing.
"When you win [a final], you tend to remember it - but when you lose, you try and blank it out. When you go all that way, you need to win it.
"When you see the other team celebrating with their fans, you just want to get off the pitch.
"But we had it both ways last year. The Carling Cup was unbelievable and a great experience, especially for us new players coming into the club and I think you take that with you."
Liverpool will look to take another step towards a return to Wembley when they tackle League One Oldham on Sunday.
The Reds set up the trip to Boundary Park by seeing off Mansfield 2-1 in the previous round, and though they may have beaten the Latics 5-1 in round three of last season's competition, Downing insists Brendan Rodgers' men can take nothing for granted.
He said: "We played Oldham last season. We had quite a tricky start and although we comfortably won in the end, it was tough.
"This time we're away and if you look at the game against Mansfield, the pitch wasn't great and we could have let them into it at the end.
"We have to be ready to play. I am sure the manager will pick a strong team no matter who plays and it's a competition we want to win.
"At Anfield, they [Oldham] could have scored two or three in the first half an hour as they missed a few chances. We did win the game, but if you look at the bigger picture, they made it difficult for us. It'll certainly be tough."
It's been a week of cup shocks in England with Swansea City and Bradford setting up a meeting in the Capital One Cup final after seeing off Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively.
The Bantams' success over Villa was particularly eye-catching.
"I watched the game and they deserved to go through," said Downing. "They created chances, had a go and didn't really sit back.
"Everybody was probably expecting Aston Villa to win by a couple of goals and go through, but Bradford made it difficult for them. Villa won the game on the night, but overall it wasn't enough and credit to Bradford because they've done ever so well in getting to the final."
He added: "The big thing is to come out of the blocks quickly and if you can get an early goal, it settles the crowd and I think that's what helped us at Mansfield - but through our own sloppy play we let them back into it.
"They're always tough games, no matter what league or opposition and that's why I think the manager will play a strong team."