TOM Cairney admits matches do not come much bigger than Blackburn Rovers’ FA Cup quarter-final showdown at Liverpool on Sunday.

The in-form Reds, in what will be outgoing captain Steven Gerrard’s final FA Cup game at Anfield, are the hot favourites to secure their place in the Wembley semi-finals.

But Cairney believes Rovers can cause a surprise given the way they have performed against Premier League opposition in the past two seasons and given the fact that two of their fellow Championship sides have ran Brendan Rodgers’ men close in the current campaign.

Middlesbrough took Liverpool to penalties in the Capital One Cup while Bolton Wanderers earned an FA Cup fourth-round draw at Anfield before losing the Macron Stadium replay late on.

In contrast Rovers have cruised through to the last eight with a 2-1 victory at Charlton Athletic followed by stunning 3-1 and 4-1 home successes over the Reds’ top-flight rivals Swansea City and Stoke City.

Gary Bowyer’s side also performed impressively before bowing out of last season’s competition to Manchester City.

And midfielder Cairney said: “Quarter-final at Anfield in the FA Cup, you can’t ask for a much bigger game than that.

“Our fans will be loud and I’m sure they will be too as it’s Gerrard’s last season and they’ll want to get to Wembley for him.

“I don’t know whether it’s the pink balls or Chris Taylor, but I think it could be our year. Stranger things have happened.

“Bolton drew there and Middlesbrough took them to penalties so we’ll definitely go there full of belief and we’ll be right at it, as tough as it will be.”