Southampton hero Shane Long shows off tattoo of prayer his father used to tell him as a child after win at Anfield

LONG

Some might say Southampton, with their backs against the wall at Anfield, needed a little divine inspiration to edge past Liverpool and into the EFL Cup final.

For Shane Long, their goalscorer, that would be pretty much spot on.

The Irish frontman proved to be the hero at Anfield on Wednesday as his stoppage-time strike confirmed the Saints' progress into their first major final for more than a decade.

After a second half spent almost permanently pinned inside their own half, with Daniel Sturridge missing two golden chances and Fraser Forster producing a superb, scrambled save from Emre Can, the footballing gods appeared to be smiling on the south coast visitors.

And that notion was only further reinforced by Long's 93rd-minute strike, which sent the travelling Saints fans delirious and frantically planning their trips to Wembley on February 26.

THE WORDS TO 'PRAYER TO THE INFANT JESUS'

Infant Jesus meek and mild

Look on me a little child

Pity mine and pity me

Suffer me to come to Thee

Heart of Jesus I adore Thee

Heart of Mary I implore thee,

Heart of Joseph pure and just

In these three hearts

I place my trust

Amen

Moments later, at the full-time whistle, Long removed his shirt to reveal a striking tattoo - the first two verses of the 'Prayer to the Infant Jesus'.

On the left-hand side of his chest, above his heart, the former West Brom forward has nine lines of a prayer his father read to him when he was a child inked into his skin.

The words mean that much to Long that he knows the entire piece off by heart.

Saints fans will be hoping that their striker's divine inspiration continues when they meet either Manchester United or Hull in the Wembley final on February 26.

United have the upper hand in the tie, leading 2-0 from the first leg, ahead of the return fixture at the KCOM Stadium on Thursday.