FROM playing in their nan’s garden in Huyton to walking out in front of 90,000 supporters in the Carling Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Cardiff City's Liverpool-born defender Anthony Gerrard is relishing the prospect of his most high profile clash with his cousin Steven on Sunday afternoon.

At 26, the centre-back is five years younger than the talismanic Liverpool skipper but nearly two decades ago the pair worked on their skills together.

They would pretend they were famous players and Anthony has happy memories of his childhood days with Steven on Merseyside.

“Hristo Stoichkov was one of the stars at the 1994 World Cup,” recalled Anthony.

“He was banging in those amazing free-kicks for Bulgaria, just like he was doing regularly for Barcelona.

“Steven and I would be down at our nan’s garden and pretending we were him.

“You remember those little things about being a kid and cherish the innocence of playing.

“Thinking back to growing up as a kid I remember spending time down on the Bluebell Estate in Huyton at Steven’s house and listening to Verve.

“That was the first sort of music I discovered and found I enjoyed, though I’ll always remember Sunday Mornings being blasted out from downstairs while my mum was cleaning! I love Motown music still.”

The boyhood Liverpool fan has certainly been hitting the right notes in recent weeks with his performances keeping Cardiff skipper Mark Hudson on the sidelines.

Hudson has since picked up an injury and is doubtful for Wembley so Anthony is expected to start.

He's hoping to make up for the agony of missing the Championship play-off final two seasons ago and it promises to be a big family day out in the capital.

“The majority of my family are Liverpool fans,” he said.

“Liverpool had a fantastic team when I was growing up and it’s a real shame they never really went on to win anything together.

“The likes of Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Jason McAteer and Jamie Redknapp were all young players with massive ability back then and the team had ridiculous levels of talent.

“Liverpool is a major football city. I think it has the highest number of registered leagues in Britain. That says it all about what football means to the place.

“But I’m not sure I had a single individual hero at Liverpool. My hero has always been Paolo Maldini for what he achieved in the game.

“Then there was Zinedine Zidane, who in my opinion revolutionised the sport. He played like he had wing mirrors!”

While Steven was signed by Liverpool as a schoolboy, Anthony joined Everton.

He progressed through the Blues' Academy but after loan spells at Accrington and Walsall he was released in 2005 without making a first team appearance.

“It was a bit strange getting into the Everton set-up,” he said. “One minute I was playing for Whiston under-10s as an eight-year-old and then my dad was telling me that Everton wanted me to go and train with them.

“I gave it a go and I remember there was only one kid who stood out above the rest – Wayne Rooney.

“I progressed before signing as a professional. I thought I did really well at Everton during that first year and had been captain of the reserves, plus a travelling first-team sub to places like White Hart Lane and Stamford Bridge.

“My head was right on it and I thought things were going the right way. Then at the end of the season we all had our meetings with the manager (David Moyes).

“We were sitting in the canteen waiting to hear what he had to say. I sat with Tony Hibbert and there was confidence among us that we’d be okay.

“We were even talking about going out to celebrate new contracts. The manager left me until last though and told me he was letting me go. My whole world felt like it had fallen apart. I was dumbstruck and the lads I was with in the canteen couldn’t believe it either.

“You have to reassess when things like that happen.”

Anthony signed for Walsall and was voted player of the season as they won the League Two title a season after being relegated.

In July 2009 he joined Cardiff but in 2010 he fell out of favour under Dave Jones, who sent him on loan to Championship rivals Hull last season.

“During my first season with Cardiff I was playing regularly and things were looking rosy for me,” he said. “But then I was dropped for the 2010 play-off final and last season I wasn’t wanted by the manager and went to Hull.

“I decided to just start enjoying my football again. I think I’d fallen out of love with it a little bit, so the move was right at the time and allowed me to play again.

“Football is all about opinions and last season the manager didn’t want me at the club. That was just the way it was.”

Upon his return to Cardiff last summer, Jones had been replaced with Malky Mackay and this season Anthony has re-established himself at the club.

Having missed out on a Wembley appearance against Blackpool two years ago, he's desperate to be involved against Kenny Dalglish's Reds on Sunday.

“Cardiff have been to Wembley three times in recent seasons and only been the winning team once,” he added.

“This time it’s about putting things right, achieving something massive for the club and its fans.

“This Sunday will be for people like Kevin McNaughton, who has been on the losing team in two finals. It will be a great day for everybody.

“Everybody outside of this football club will be thinking Liverpool are going to beat us.

“We can go to Wembley without pressure and play our game, and hopefully we can spring an upset.”