Southampton and England 'keeper Fraser Forster is looking to move on from the disappointment of losinglast weekend's EFL Cup final at Wembley by renewing focus on finishing high enough in the Premier League to qualify for Europe.
Speaking to theDaily Mirror, Forster recounted his feelings on a tough afternoon last Sunday:As a team, we gave a fantastic account of ourselves “ to come back from 2-0 down against Manchester United spoke volumes for our character and, on another day, we might have taken the glory,� he said.
It wasn't meant to be, but we can hold our heads up high after the way we performed and it was still a reminder of how far we have come as a club in the last seven or eight years."
To win a trophy would have been a fitting reward for all the work that's gone into lifting the club from League One and we're not satisfied with where we are. The chairman and the owner want to keep moving forwards and it's been a fantastic place to work since the day I signed."
The 6'7" goalie is familiar wth the big stage, having been part of many Champions Leaguenightsduring his time at Celtic. Now he wants to bring those moments to the south coast for Saints fans to enjoy.
Anything's achievable “ we've had a taste of European football this season and reached a Wembley final, and as a club we pride ourselves on building for the future instead of a quick fix".
We've set high standards over the last two or three years and now we have to keep aiming highs. Playing regularly in Europe would be a realistic target.�
I wouldn't have missed those Champions League nights and Old Firm games at Parkhead for anything. It gave me the chance to play against some of the best players in the world".
Very few get the chance to play on such a big stage and even fewer cope with it. You are expected to win every game and it's never easy because the opposition are desperate to beat you.�