Javier: Our Europa League motivation
The carrot of Champions League qualification for winning the Europa League will further supplement the motivation within the Liverpool squad to lift the trophy next year, insists Javier Manquillo.
A third-place finish in Group B of the continent's elite club competition heralded a switch to the tournament - with the last 32 draw on Monday pairing the Reds with Turkish outfit Besiktas over two legs in February.
For the first time this season, the winners of the Europa League will be awarded a berth in the Champions League for the following campaign, adding increased incentive to the quest to reach the final in Warsaw.
"It definitely makes it even more attractive," Manquillo reflected to Liverpoolfc.com shortly after the team's opponents in the knockout stage had been revealed.
"Apart from winning the Europa League, which would be awesome, we all want to be playing in the Champions League again next year. We'll do whatever it takes to win the competition.
"All clubs playing in European competitions - whether it's the Champions League or the Europa League - are certainly big clubs. We'll try to win this tie and go on as far as possible in this competition.
"Perhaps we can win this trophy, why not? As a Liverpool player, you must aim to win the greatest possible honours. That's just what we'll try to do for the rest of the season."