Final victory has a ‘special’ significance for Kuyt

The Carling Cup may be derided in certain quarters but for Dirk Kuyt, a losing finalist in the World Cup and Champions League, his first winners’ medal with Liverpool is special.

A penalty shoot-out victory over Cardiff on Sunday, in which the Netherlands international scored in extra time and from the spot, ended the Reds’ six-year trophy drought.

It also brought to a close a long personal quest for Kuyt who, along with Fabio Aurelio, has been at the club the longest without winning a trophy.

Kuyt moved from Feyenoord just a couple of months after Liverpool lifted the FA Cup in Cardiff in 2006.

He was a goalscorer for the losing side in the Champions League final against AC Milan less than a year later, while in 2010 he was part of the Netherlands team beaten by Spain in the World Cup final in South Africa.

But with his 32nd birthday approaching this summer, time was running out for him to pick up some silverware.

“I have a couple of medals but at the end of the day all that matters are trophies and this is like the gold medal,” said Kuyt, whose only other success came in the Dutch Cup for Utrecht in 2003.

“Unfortunately I lost the Champions League final and the World Cup final, but to win the Carling Cup means something very special to me.

“I have been here almost six years now and I came to Anfield to win trophies so I am really pleased with the performance we gave as a team.

“If you want to be remembered as a footballer you have to win trophies and I am really glad I did that with Liverpool. You can say the Carling Cup is not the most important trophy, but it is to me.”

Kuyt added: “I think this trophy is majorly important for the future of Liverpool. Everyone was waiting for this trophy — myself included — but now we have won one hopefully it is the first one of many more to follow.

“Hopefully we will be back soon.”

Joe Mason’s swift rise through the Football League might have been stunted somewhat by Sunday’s game, but the young striker is confident he will soon be taking to the biggest stage of them all on a regular basis with Cardiff.

Just 10 months before netting the opening goal against Liverpool, the Republic of Ireland U21 international was fighting a losing battle against relegation to npower League Two with Plymouth.

Now Mason has experienced his first taste of the big time, and he believes the Bluebirds are ready to grace the top flight after taking their Premier League opponents all the way to penalties.

“There are a lot of positives to be taken from this, especially going back into a league campaign. We’ve got no distractions now and we’re going to try and get promoted,” he said.

By his own admission, Mason could not have predicted the whirlwind path his career has taken since leaving Plymouth in July. The forward made his mark in front of 90,000 at Wembley and countless millions worldwide by latching on to Kenny Miller’s pass and firing past Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina — a moment he has vowed never to forget.

“I’ll remember that until the day I go,” he said.

“I couldn’t imagine, when I was playing for Plymouth Argyle last season, that this year I’d be playing and scoring at Wembley against Liverpool — the team I support. It’s mad. It’s really mixed emotions. To get a goal at Wembley is massive, I can’t even explain it, but to lose is devastating.’’