Why Liverpool, Manchester Utd and Chelsea crave European success over the Premier League

When Liverpool kicked off the new season in 1964 you'd have thought all was well for the Red half of Merseyside. Bill Shankly had lifted the club out of the Second Division, and the previous season they had been crowned league champions for the fifth time, and their first triumph since 1947.

The future seemed bright, but there was one statistic that they were constantly being reminded of - they had never won the "big one", the FA Cup. These days that almost seems unbelievable, such has the status of the FA Cup changed. But when Liverpool progressed through that season's competition and ultimately emerged victorious, a huge millstone was finally lifted.

A decade later, with three more League titles and a second FA Cup win in the bag, Liverpool kicked off the new season in 1976 with an altogether different target in sight. Winning domestic honours was fine, but the race was well and truly under way to prove that they were the best team in Europe. The time had come to bring the European Cup to Anfield.

In many ways the European campaigns during the '70s and '80s defined Liverpool Football Club in the minds of observers the world over. The impact on the supporters was even more noticeable, however, evidenced by everything they wore to the songs they sang. Adventures to exotic destinations were written into the folklore of the club, with the journeys people undertook being as well remembered as the match they went to see. Remember also that this was occurring against a backdrop of economic deprivation and before the days of budget airlines!

A fashion revolution occurred on the back of the souvenirs those supporters returned home with - trainers and leisurewear might dominate the high streets across the country today but it was from those early trips that they were first brought back to England to be worn on the Kop and away trips around the country. The "Harry Enfield Scouser" might be a figure of fun these days, but the roots of that image can be traced directly to this proud history, as can the clothes many people reading this are wearing today.

Of course, it was the results on the pitch that are best remembered as the cream of Europe were vanquished and the trophy cabinet soon boasted a haul that no other English club club can match.

"The League is our bread and butter," said Shankly, but this quote is often misunderstood. Why dine on such basics when you can feast on steak? Doing well domestically was merely the requirement to ensure a greater banquet the following season. Remember this is the man who wanted to create a side so good that "they would have to send a team from Mars to beat us", so it's safe to say his ambitions stretched far beyond national borders.

Fast forward to the modern game, and the mantra has changed. Winning the Premier League is now viewed as the holy grail, but who is it that drives this perception? Are the supporters now really saying that seeing their team crowned "Champions of England" is better than being crowned "Champions of Europe"? Given a choice between getting three points at the JJB Stadium or a victory in the San Siro, I know which I would choose.

Having paid millions for the rights to screen wall-to-wall Premier League coverage, the likes of Sky Sports are hardly going to want to sell it as the 'second most important competition', and it seems many of us are only too happy to dance to their tune.

To my mind the truth is simple - good teams perform well domestically whereas great teams dominate in Europe. Yes, I would love to win the Premier League but no way would I want to trade that against our continental performances.

Others would seem to agree, if only quietly. Sir Alex Ferguson said that he needs to win a second European Cup to truly earn his place among the greats, and Roman Abramovich is driven by his desire to own the best team in Europe. At Arsenal there is a glaring gap in their honours list, and their single appearance in the final hardly places them amongst the elite that they aspire to.

If any more proof were needed, consider how we view foreign teams. Real Madrid are a legendary club the world over, not because they have won the Spanish League many times but because they have nine European titles to their name. AC Milan seven times winners. Are Ajax known for historically dominating a relatively weak Dutch league, or for their performances in European competition and four titles?

For all of the hype of the Premier League, it is the European Cup that remains the biggest trophy our sides can aspire to, and at Liverpool success in Europe defines who we are as a club and why we are different to our domestic competitors. Long may that continue!