DREAMING OF GLORY

The League Cup and BEN DAVIES have a storied history. It is a competition he has often done well in, especially in 2013 when he lifted the trophy with Swansea City and, as we head into this evening’s semi-final, he is beginning to dream of that winning feeling once again.

- Liam Carson

This season, Ben Davies is competing in his eighth League Cup campaign and, incredibly, this is the fourth time he has made it all the way to the semifinals of the competition.

Having lifted the trophy at the first attempt as a 19-year-old during his debut season at first club Swansea City in 2013, Ben has since helped us to the last four of the competition on three occasions, including during our run to the final in 2015. It is an extraordinary record for the Welshman, yet it has now been almost eight years since that maiden triumph for him in this competition and he is eager to have that winning feeling once more.

Ben’s first success in the competition with Swansea had been no easy task. Having dispatched lower league opposition in their opening two rounds of the competition, in round four they faced a trip to Anfield to take on then holders Liverpool. Yet, on Merseyside, they brushed the Reds aside to book their place in the last eight with a striking 3-1 win.

Championship outfit Middlesbrough were then narrowly overturned in the quarter-final to see them progress to the final four for the first and only time in their history to date. In that semi-final, in front of them stood then reigning European Champions Chelsea but the Swans again battled through the tie, defeating the Blues 2-0 on aggregate – both of the Welsh side’s goals coming in a first leg win at Stamford Bridge. The final was then perhaps a more straightforward affair for Michael Laudrup’s men as they put five without reply past League Two Bradford City to lift the cup at Wembley.