Didi relives CL glory

Dietmar Hamann told Goals on Sunday about that extraordinary 2005 Champions League final when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down against AC Milan.

The Reds looked like they were going to suffer an embarrassing defeat after being outplayed by the Italians in the first half, but Steven Gerrard led the fightback which was clinched through a penalty shoot-out.

Hamann, who started on the bench, told Ben and Kammy his first thoughts when manager Rafael Benitez sent him on at 3-0 down.

"Why me?" said Hamann. "It was not the most pleasant time to come on but then again I did expect to start that night and I didn't.

"But you can't be too downbeat about it; I was lucky enough to get one chance in a Champions League final, most players don't get a chance.

"You go on and you hope things will get better and we had all the breaks in the second half; everything went our way and you need that against teams like AC Milan.

Ex-German international Hamann was the first Liverpool player to step up during the shoot-out and vividly remembers that moment.

"It was made a bit easier because Serginho missed the first penalty so if I missed we were still level," he added.

"That was a bit of a help. It was a big moment and it took us ahead for the first time that night.

"(Jerzy) Dudek made two penalty saves after that - although how that (Andriy) Shevchenko penalty was not retaken I will never know. He must have been four of five yards of his line when he saved it!

"I think Steven Gerrard was very relieved because he would have had to take the next one."

Source: Sky Sports

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