ROVERS boss Graeme Souness is calling on his players to seize the moment and write their name in Ewood folklore when they meet Tottenham in Sunday's Worthington Cup final.

It's 74 years since Rovers last won a major cup competition and Souness - who has been a manager in six cup finals and only lost one - wants his players to make the day their own.

"Some people have very big careers and never play in a cup final and never win anything," said the Rovers boss.

"That is why we are going there to enjoy ourselves and I want the players to make the most of it.

"I was fortunate enough to play in a few cup finals but you can never get enough of them and that is why you have got to enjoy them.

"They come and go very quickly. They are special.

"It is not just the 90 minutes, it's the whole build up to Sunday.

"We have been concentrating on each game as they come along. Last week it was the FA Cup, this week it's the Worthington Cup final and this is biggest thing now.

"We would love to be sitting in mid-table going into this final but we are not, that is a fact, we have to accept it and realise that we have got to make the most of Sunday."

Souness has been in charge in four cup finals for Rangers - he lost to Celtic in 1989, one for Liverpool and once at Galatasaray - and can't wait to add another to his tally.

"Every cup final you play in you think it is going to be your last. That is how I see the Worthington Cup, this could be my last.

"That is my attitude so I want to enjoy it and if the players go out there with that attitude, then they will perform better."

Spurs, in a current rich vein of form, are tipped as the favourites to lift the cup but that doesn't bother the Rovers boss.

"If you play a London side you are always the underdog. Tottenham have a history in the cup competitions, they are regular winners," said the Ewood chief of the club where he started his career.

"They are a big football club and are a team that generate more interest than teams from this part of Lancashire.

"But we do not go there with an inferiority complex. If we play our football we are capable of beating anyone on the day.

"To most people we are the underdogs but I don't see myself as an underdog, that is for other people. I have always fancied myself in a game of football."

With Craig Short, Garry Flitcroft and Tugay missing through suspension, Souness is not able to field his strongest team - but he has made the necessary adjustments.

Andy Cole missed training yesterday as a precaution after he picked up a stomach bug, but was due to resume today.

Souness said: "That's why you have a squad of players although it is a blow to have people out but that is football and you have to deal with it.

"We are going to miss Tugay on Sunday. It is going to be a football match where it will depend on who defends the best. Both teams play a similar a style, they will go after us and we will go after them and it depends who defends well.

"Tugay would have given us the edge in that department but whatever player plays in that position will do their best to help us win this competition.

"And I expect performances from all the players on the day. David Dunn is someone who is exciting to watch as he is a match winner but our goalkeeper, Brad Friedel, could be the match winner along with Damien Duff, Matt Jansen, or Keith Gillespie - they are all exciting players.

"They will excite people and hopefully more people will perform on the day to give us a good chance of winning.

He added: "My players have always come up with answers to the questions asked of them - when they were in the first division and this year in the Premiership, they have come up with answers.

"Hopefully they will come up with more on Sunday. We have played well at Old Trafford and Highbury and hopefully we will perform on Sunday. I cannot see us not performing. I do not think the experienced ones would allow that to happen."