Jordan Henderson looking to avenge FA Cup heartache this weekend

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Will our vice-captain put defeat against Chelsea behind him…

The parallels between Liverpool’s 2014-15 season and our 2011-12 season, Jordan Henderson’s first with the club, are there for all to see – a difficult league season eclipsed by success in domestic cup competitions.

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Three years ago, it was the League Cup that we lifted at Wembley after a penalty shoot-out victory over Cardiff City, before our campaign ended in disappointment with a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

This time around, we again lost out to the Blues who went onto lift the first piece of silverware of the season. We’re now back in another semi-final, preparing to face Aston Villa in the penultimate game of the FA Cup.

Henderson was just 21 the last time he played at Wembley in an FA Cup game. Now, approaching 25, he is an integral part of our side, the predicted successor for the club captaincy and a man out looking for revenge.

In quotes taken by the Liverpool Echo, he explains why this weekend’s game is so important to him. He said: “I always think of losing the FA Cup final rather than winning the League Cup in 2012.

“Setbacks like that inspire you to want more. You tend to remember the ones you lose more. The final against Chelsea always sticks out for me and to put that right would be fantastic.

“We need to concentrate on the semi-final. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing I’m sure we’ll get a good result.”

As for Steven Gerrard, who Henderson could be featuring alongside for the final time at Wembley this weekend, he added: “It would be perfect for him really [to win the FA Cup].

“But it’s no good dreaming that. As players we have go out there on the pitch and do the business. That’s the big motivation, not only doing it for ourselves and the club because we want to win trophies, but also because Stevie has given so much to this club. For us to win it for him in his final year would be really special.

“But it’s not just going to happen. We have to go out there and put in good performances and work hard for each other. If we do that we’ll have a really good chance.”

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