Dirk Kuyt is so keen to Kop a winners' medal

KUYT OF LUCK ... Reds striker Dirk has yet to claim a winners' medal at Liverpool

DIRK KUYT has put the Carling Cup on top of his wishlist — to avoid an unwanted place in Liverpool history.
Kuyt has yet to pick up a winners' medal after arriving in the summer of 2006.

The Kop kings have not won a thing since.

And not since Emlyn Hughes joined from Blackpool in 1967 has a Liverpool signing and first-team regular had to wait so long for silverware.

Ray Clemence, who joined in the same year as Hughes, went three years before he became the No 1 keeper.

And in recent seasons, Fabio Aurelio — another 2006 buy — was actually released and then re-signed, while Daniel Agger's injuries mean he has never really had a lengthy run.

All of which leaves Dutch striker Kuyt as the star with the longest trophy drought in 44 YEARS.

It is a point not lost on the man himself, who will have been a Red for six years by the time of the Carling Cup final.

The next hurdle is tonight's fourth-round trip to Stoke and Kuyt, a £10million buy from Ajax, admitted: "In all my time as a Liverpool player I have been close to winning trophies. There was the Champions League final, the semi-final and also coming second in the Premier League.

"We know we have the squad to do well. Not being involved in Europe this season is a major blow so the Carling Cup is a great trophy to win because we're all desperate for silverware."

Domestic cup glory looks the one chance Liverpool have of a trophy. After being tipped to make a title push, the top four is now the realistic goal.

But Liverpool must end a run of four visits to Stoke without a win — and a 1-0 defeat at the Britannia Stadium last month.

In the past the Reds have been outmuscled by Tony Pulis' men.

But Kuyt added: "It's one of the hardest games in the league. They are very strong, but we can be a strong, physical team as well and if we create as many chances as we have been, we will be happy."