Mackay: My respect for Kenny
Cardiff boss Malky Mackay has explained why he'll feel an immense sense of pride leading his team out at Wembley alongside Kenny Dalglish.
The Liverpool manager was one of the 40-year-old's idols when growing up in Scotland - so much so that he even took a keen interest in the Reds' fortunes from north of the border when the King was strutting his stuff at Anfield.
Now he can't wait to pit his wits against Dalglish in the Carling Cup final on Sunday.
"Liverpool Football Club means a lot to me," Mackay told LFC TV.
"Kenny Dalglish is someone I know through Paul, his son. Paul was at Celtic and Norwich with me, so Kenny was about both of those clubs when he was watching Paul and I got to know him.
"Before that, he's someone I used to watch for Scotland and as a young boy he was certainly one of my heroes - I've got no embarrassment about that. I think a lot of people my age in Scotland feel the same way.
"I don't remember his Celtic days because I am far too young, but I remember his Liverpool days and mostly his Scotland appearances. My dad took me to Hampden as a youngster when Kenny was in his prime and I can remember the famous goals he scored.
"The Liverpool team when he was there as both player and a manager was England's best and most successful team, so as a kid they were the team I followed in England from afar.
"There is that little link there - they're certainly a club I've always looked at and there's always been a Scottish element to Liverpool."
Mackay added: "Kenny text me after the (Carling Cup) semi-final to say congratulations and that he'd see me for a cup of tea at Wembley.
"He's someone I've got a lot of time for and someone who has done so much in the game. I'm sure we'll have five minutes."
Mackay's Liverpool connections don't end with Dalglish.
The Bluebirds boss is close pals with Reds first-team coach Kevin Keen and forward Craig Bellamy.
He said: "Kevin Keen is a good friend of mine from our West Ham days together, and I know Steve Clarke from his time down in London with Chelsea.
"Craig Bellamy and I have known each other our whole careers and we spoke the day after the semi-finals.
"It will be a proud moment for me and a proud moment for the football club to lead the team out at Wembley, shoulder-to-shoulder with Kenny and his team, and have 35,000 Cardiff fans and all of our families there. It will be a good day.
"You then get into the moment of the game and play the game and not the occasion, but I'll take a minute to look at the occasion because it's not something that comes around very often in anybody's careers."
For Bellamy, Sunday promises to be a poignant occasion.
The striker spent last season on loan with his hometown club as they chased promotion to the Barclays Premier League.
"To do what he did last year and drop out of the Premier League and try and gain promotion with Cardiff speaks volumes for him," said Mackay.
"But it doesn't surprise me that much. I have known him his whole career - we worked together at Norwich when he was a baby. Even then, he had a passion, a drive and a determination to be the best player, the best trainer, and to want to win things.
"We've kept in touch and in the summer when I got the job (at Cardiff), he phoned to congratulate me and we had a cup of tea at his house.
"When Liverpool came in it was a great move for him and he's got a great affinity to the club. I was delighted for him and it's worked out really well with the success he's had this season.
"It'll be a day of mixed emotions for him because a lot of his family are from the area - but they'll be supporting Craig on the day."
Mackay believes Bellamy is part of an attacking triumvirate that is capable of unlocking any defence in the land.
Nonetheless, he doesn't feel anyone at Liverpool will pay any attention to their tag as match favourites.
Mackay said: "Liverpool have in Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy three players that can open up any team in Britain.
"If the three of them play in the same team, my goodness there's an attacking threat to that team! They are three of the top players in England right now, so they're a threat to anyone.
"I don't expect Liverpool to take us lightly at all. While we're massive underdogs and a Championship team playing against one of the top teams in England, Liverpool are too professional to take us too lightly."