Liverpool winger Stewart Downing hopes to taste Carling Cup glory next week.

Npower championship high-fliers Cardiff, no strangers to Wembley themselves as this will be their third appearance in five years having lost the 2008 FA Cup final and 2010 Championship play-off, will obviously have other ideas.

"The first one I was an unused sub for Middlesbrough. I would have liked to have played but I was still involved," he said.

"The second one for Villa against United - a few things didn't go our way.

"Nemanja Vidic could have been sent off early on and we were a little bit unlucky on the day.

"It would have been nice to finish with a medal but it wasn't to be.

"Hopefully this time around I'll get one."