Despite missing out on their first title in 24-years, the return of Champions League football to Liverpool is a massive win in itself. Along with all the other benefits that come along with participating in Europe’s most prestigious club competition, the excitement and belief it ignites in the players comes as an added bonus — and Reds midfielder Joe Allen is no exception to the rule.
The 24-year old, who followed Brendan Rodgers when he traded Wales for Merseyside, will be participating in the competition for the first time when the Anfield outfit enter the group stages and he could hardly contain his excitment at the prospect of strutting his stuff on some of the biggest stages in Europe. “I can’t wait. It was something that as a young footballer you dream about,” enthused Allen. “It is the reason you work hard every day, you strive to try to get there. I can’t wait for the next season to kick off and experience one of the pinnacles.”
With Wales missing out on World Cup qualification, the 24-year old will have to watch from the sidelines as this summer’s show-piece event plays out in South America, but he’ll get his chance to show the world what he’s made of when he steps out on the pitch for one of those glorious European nights at Anfield. “As a player you set targets and goals and one of them is to play Champions League football. And I can’t wait and I’m sure the fans feel the same way” he continued. “The record we have here at Anfield this season will play a big part as well. We look forward to next year and whether it be in the league, Champions League or the cup matches it is going to be a difficult place for teams to come, no doubt about that.”
With a number of changes sure to come in the summer, Allen is relishing the prospect of improving on a fantastic season. “We can’t become complacent because that is the danger, we will use this to spur us on next season” explained the midfielder. “We always felt this season would be an important season to show the ability we have got as a team. It’s great to have a club like Liverpool back at the top. The beauty of it is there is more to come. That is a great position to be in.”
