Brendan Rodgers has insisted he will urge his young Liverpool side to seize their opportunity at Wembley on Sunday.

The Reds take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals, after the Northern Irishman set the goal of winning silverware earlier this year - and Rodgers believes the entire club would feel the benefit of winning a trophy.

Liverpool almost booked themselves a place in the final of the Capital One Cup back in December, before losing out in extra-time away at Chelsea despite fantastic performances in both legs.

But Rodgers added that they will drive on from their previous disappointments when they take on Tim Sherwood's Villa. 

Talking to Liverpoolfc.com, he said: "You have to seize the moment. It's not a final, but it's a semi-final with an opportunity to come back. It is games like that where you write your name in the stars as a player, the big games.

"You want to make the big contribution and the big goals. If you want to be renowned as a top player, then you produce in the big games and that's what the good players will do.

"You can't take it for granted. You just never know in your life, and professional sport, when the opportunities arise again. So when it comes you have got to be ready to take it and that's something that I know the players are waiting and ready for."

Having been so close to the Premier League trophy last season before suffering the setback of Europa League, Champions League and Capital One Cup knock-outs this season all via narrow margins - Rodgers insists that those previous eliminations will serve as lessons for a young side.

"The players performed very well under pressure over the two games, and I think we were very unfortunate not to make the (Capital One Cup) final," the Ulsterman said.

"What we have learned is that we want to play well and win; we have been fairly good at that. But it will be about getting through. We want to concentrate on performance.

"But the learning taken from those two games is that we want to get through. So even if we don't play as well and get through, that's what's important in cup competitions."

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.