Fowler still up for the Cup

Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler insists that none of the FA Cup's magic will be diminished by playing the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff rather than Wembley.

Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler insists that none of the FA Cup's magic will be diminished by playing the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff rather than Wembley.

While Wembley is being re-built, the next three FA Cup finals and three FA Charity Shield matches will be staged in south Wales.

But Fowler, a beaten finalist when the Reds lost 1-0 to Manchester United in 1996, is adamant that the domestic game's showpiece event will be as big an occasion as ever.

He told icons.com: "Okay, the final this year won't be played at Wembley, but that doesn't mean that the FA Cup has lost any of its magic.

"The main thing is winning the trophy and it wouldn't bother me if we did it at the Millennium Stadium or Stanley Park!

"The FA Cup is a competition that every player in England would love to win, and I'm no exception.

"I've already played in one final - well, I was there! - and it's a horrible feeling when you lose, as we did against Manchester United in 1996.

"The experience itself is hard to describe. The day goes very quickly, but for months afterwards you still think about the game.

"It must be brilliant to win the final because losing it isn't so nice. It's a nightmare, in fact.

"We'd worked so hard to get there and to fall in the last 10 minutes, as was the case with us, was horrible. It's not an experience I want to go through again.

"Obviously, I'd love to win the League, but the FA Cup is one of the best cup competitions in the world.

"We're still in two cup tournaments and if we were to have another good run in this one, it would prove that we are going the right way."

Liverpool play Rotherham at home in the third round on Saturday and Fowler was quick to rule out any chance of complacency from Gerard Houllier's side.

He added: "We've had Rotherham watched and it seems that all their players are either six feet tall or over. They're a big side and one which is going very well in their division.

"Their confidence will be sky high when they play us and they'll come to Anfield with nothing to lose. But we're not a bad side, either.

"Our lads will also be going into the match with confidence, but even though we know we should go through, we've all been in the game long enough to know we can't take anything for granted.

"There are always upsets in FA Cup ties and we must make sure we don't become the victims of one."

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