Claude Puel took a moment to reflect on leading Saints to a major cup final in his first season in charge of the club and smiled “it’s not bad.”

The understated Saints manager has been a quiet and calm presence since taking over from Ronald Koeman, and was just as level headed after victory at Anfield booked the Wembley showpiece final in the League Cup.

Puel allowed himself a wry grin as he took it all in and joked: “It’s not bad.

“It’s fantastic. I am happy for all the squad because they work very hard since the beginning of the season and play all these games every three days which is very difficult.

“Often they can do fantastic work on the pitch without the good reward and today I think it’s fantastic to win this game, to see the qualify for Wembley and to have all this for the staff, the player and our fans.

“We have fantastic fans, Inter Milan away with 8,000 fans was fantastic and every time and every game they come and it’s a fantastic reward for all the good work.

“It’s not finished now. It’s interesting of course to go to Wembley and it’s not just to participate but to win this game.

“We have time to prepare this game.”

Puel enjoyed a successful managerial career in France before joining Saints, but his achievements this season place him in the bracket of Lawrie McMenemy and Gordon Strachan in terms of getting the club to a major final.

However, Puel was not interested in discussing how big this is for him.

“For me it’s not important,” he insisted. “It’s important for the players, for the squad, for the fans, and I am happy for them.

“For me it’s my work, and I was frustrated since the beginning of the season because we can do good work, good football and good play on the ground without often the good reward and it was important to know a good emotion. This is perfect.”

Saints without doubt deserved to get through over the two legs against Liverpool.

They restricted the Reds to very few chances, with the biggest heart in mouth moment coming when Fraser Forster spilled an Emre Can shot but just about clawed it back before it could cross the line.

“I think it was a good thing, a fantastic save, and important of course and he can do the job very well but all the players around him give the opportunity to stay with a clean sheet,” reflected Puel.

“Two games with a clean sheet against Liverpool is strong work for all the team.

“In the first leg Liverpool didn’t have a lot of chances and this is good work and for us important also to get many chances without clinical sometimes.”