Reds Euro ambition driven by rivals' success

Liverpool’s player of the year Danny Murphy has admitted that watching Arsenal and Manchester United going further than them in the Champions League has been the driving inspiration behind the Anfield side’s desire to return to Europe’s elite competition.

Liverpool failed to get past the first stage this campaign and now could fail to qualify for next season’s tournament if they do not win at Chelsea on Sunday.

And midfielder Murphy claimed: “We’ve had to watch Manchester United and Arsenal progress further than us this season and that has been frustrating.

“We need to make sure we’re right for Sunday because if we turn in a good 90 minutes and get a good result then we’re there.

“If we qualify then it would give the fans another season in the Champions League to look forward to. We know that’s what they want.

“We’re all striving for that because we know that to be a top player then you have to play at the top level, and the Champions League is at the top.”

He added: “The Champions League is the best competition and is where we all want to play. Also, there’s no hiding the fact that it’s a massive game in terms of how the club will benefit financially if we get into the Champions League.

“The game is right up there in importance with any game we’ve ever played. We can’t afford to think about that, though, during the match.

“If you are thinking about the pressures of the game while you are playing it then you can end up freezing and not performing, and we don’t want to do that.

“We’ve played in big games many times over the last few seasons and that can only stand us in good stead. I think we’ve shown that we always perform well when our backs are to the wall.”