Jordan Henderson has explained how a midweek team meeting helped lay the foundations for Liverpool's victory over Tottenham in the Champions League final on Saturday.
The club captain gathered his teammates prior to their trip to Madrid to talk through the test they were preparing to face - and to good effect, if the result is anything to go by.
The Reds scored very early and very late as they saw off Spurs to ensure the European Cup would come back to Anfield for a sixth time in the club's history.
On the meeting that preceded that success, Henderson said: "I think as a group we would've regretted it if we didn't have it. I felt it was important to speak as a group before the final.
"It was an important conversation with the group. A few of us said a few things. Hopefully it helped tonight.
"[We spoke] just about the game really. What we could experience in the game and how we could deal with those different situations, and to use the experiences that we've had to use tonight."
Saturday's fixture represented Henderson's his sixth final since joining Liverpool in 2011, though he had lost four in a row after clinching the League Cup in his maiden season.
But those disappointments only served to make claiming European football's grandest prize even sweeter for the skipper.
He added: "It was obviously emotional. We've come a long way as a team and had so many knock-backs. To finally get over the line is an amazing feeling, something special and one we'll remember forever.
"It was nice to know we have come back from so many disappointments, and finally get over the line and won a big trophy, it is an amazing night and hopefully we can use this to win more in the future.
"It gives us confidence to know we can win the Champions League and together we can move forward and hopefully win more trophies as well."
Having lifted the European Cup as Liverpool captain, Henderson ensured his name sits alongside Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, Graeme Souness and Steven Gerrard.
However, he does not believe the size of that achievement will hit home until he retires from football, not least because he is keen to keeping winning trophies.
He continued: “Probably it will be after I finish football, but there is still a lot way to go. I am 28, I want to achieve a lot, keep improving as a player, I want the team to keep improving, I want to win more, that is all my focus is on now.
“That’s the idea, we hope this can give us a lot of confidence. The big trophies, the big nights. I want to enjoy this moment but also when we come back pre-season we will be focused on looking in the future."
