Hendo: It doesn't get much bigger - let's get a result to remember
Jordan Henderson is readying himself for one of the biggest games of his career tomorrow evening as Liverpool face AS Roma in the first leg of the sides' Champions League semi-final.
And the captain is determined to ensure he takes only good memories from Tuesday's Anfield clash by helping to secure a result that ultimately sees Jürgen Klopp's team into the tournament's final.
Henderson had made just five European Cup appearances in six seasons with the club prior to this term - all of which came during a forgettable 2014-15 campaign that ended in a group-stage exit.
As such, tomorrow's fixture represents a personal landmark for the midfielder, one he does not want to end in disappointment.
He told Liverpoolfc.com: "It's one of, if not the biggest game [of my career]. The semi-finals of the Champions League at Anfield, it doesn't get much bigger than that really.
"It'll be a huge night and we want to remember it after for the right reasons in terms of the atmosphere but, most important, the result as well.
"It's a big game for us but hopefully it's the first of many big games to come in the next few years."
Liverpool claimed an ultimately unassailable three-goal lead in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Manchester City thanks in no small part to the efforts of a partisan Anfield crowd.
And Henderson expects more of the same from the home support when Roma come to town.
He added: "I'm excited just to go out and play in front of the fans at Anfield, it will be an incredible atmosphere.
"You see the fans, you pull up at Anfield and it's a special occasion, it really gets you going.
"When you're pulling up here on the bus and the fans are outside singing, it's an amazing feeling getting ready for the game."
Despite the convincing manner of Liverpool's win in the last round, Henderson does not believe the order of the ties - first leg on Merseyside, second in Italy - is necessarily an advantage.
The skipper is also anticipating a different test from Eusebio Di Francesco's side to that posed by the Premier League champions.
"You can swing it round both ways, to be honest," he declared.
"At the end of the day, it's two games of football and you've got to go and try and win them both, as difficult as that will be against a very good side.
"You've just got to go out there and stay focused on what your job is, take it step-by-step, [play] the first game and then focus on the second leg afterwards.
"It's a different side, different players, different manager, different way of playing, so they'll ask different questions.
"We've got to make sure we're ready for them, and we [ask] them questions as well, like I know we can.
"If we do that then hopefully it can put us in a good position going to Rome."