May 25, 2005, a night that will live in the memories of all Liverpool fans as we won our 5th European Cup in Istanbul by beating AC Milan on penalties. One of the star players that night was Xabi Alonso as he scored the crucial third goal for Liverpool to make it 3-3. One can only imagine what was going through his mind as he stepped up to take the penalty. Although Alonso missed the penalty he was quick to follow up on the rebound and tuck it away. All too often players give up after they have missed a penalty but not Xabi. He has described that moment as the quickest five metres he has ever run.
“Look at the pictures and my face tells everything before taking that penalty. The responsibility, the tense look. It was more than nerves, it was about the responsibility. It was one of the biggest moments of my career. I missed it but got the reward and it was probably the quickest five metres I have ever run.
“It was unbelievable afterwards. After so many years, bringing Liverpool back to where they deserved to be – you could see the faces and the happiness of the people around Liverpool and wherever we went. Sharing those moments with them was fantastic and totally unforgettable.
“It is a final in the memory of all football supporters. They have it in their mind, it was the greatest comeback ever, so wherever I go they have that memory.”
Xabi is a legend. Rafa brought some of the best quality players in our history to our club and alonso is right up there with the very best. No matter the mistakes made, that was a brilliant time to be a red!
thanks xabi, you will always have a special place in the hearts of LFC fans.