Breaking News:JAMES TAVERNIER: WE’RE READY TO GIVE EVERYTHING…

At the national stadium, the Light Blues take on Aberdeen in an attempt to win the first trophy of the year.

After an outstanding victory over Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League, the team enters the game with high spirits, and Tavernier hopes they can continue that momentum into the cup final.

He said, “It was obviously a really positive night, we topped the group, and it was a great feeling to see it over the line and show how much character we had in the second half,” when addressing the media at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference.

We played a really strong defensive game together, and I’m happy that we won the group.

“We will stop at nothing to ensure that we win the game, and I am really looking forward to the final. It is our first opportunity to win silverware this season.

“It has been an incredible week for the players and the fans, especially after leading the Europa League group and moving on to the final.

“We have to show up tomorrow, follow the manager’s instructions, and play until the very end.”

Now that the team has gone 13 games without a loss since manager Philippe Clement assumed control of the group, Tavernier says they must keep up their hard work to gain momentum.

He stated: “We have to capitalize on this momentum to keep going forward. The manager has demanded that we push each other on the training pitch, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are constantly pushing each other in the squad, week in and week out.

“I have always observed the winning mentality, but I believe that right now we are all playing as a team and pushing each other really hard. It is evident that we are aware of the manager’s expectations of us, which are a reflection of his own.

He expects perfection, and we also aspire to it; we are making great progress and are headed in the right direction. It’s encouraging to see that we are not yet the completed product; all that needs to be done is work hard and encourage one another.

Tavernier went on, “They are going to try to frustrate us and maybe get into a low defensive block, or they might try and come after us, but it is not too much of what they are going to do it is how we are going to implement our game.” This was in response to a question about what he expected from Aberdeen. All we need to do is get off to a strong start and have a significant impact.

“I am aware of the rivalry between the two clubs in particular, and I’m sure the boys have played a few games by now where they’ve had a taste of what it means or what they plan to use in their game.

“Our supporters will be singing behind us.”

“Every game is important to me, and I’m disappointed that I haven’t won any hardware in the time I’ve been here. However, this is a new team and a new challenge, so I’m going to give it my all, and I know the team will too. It looks like a great opportunity for us all.”