A FORMER Liverpool star has revealed the club’s Champions League miracle in Istanbul is his “worst memory”.
Stephane Henchoz spent six years at Anfield but left the club just months before the triumph.
Henchoz, 50, joined Liverpool in 1999 from Blackburn Rovers and made 135 appearances in the Premier League for the club.
He fell down the pecking order after Rafa Benitez was appointed as manager in 2004.
In that season, Henchoz was in the final year of his deal at Anfield and opted to leave the club midway through the season.
The defender landed a move to Scottish giants Celtic but little did he know his decision would cost him a Champions League winners’ medal.
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Liverpool pulled off a miracle as they came from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan on penalties to win the tournament.
While speaking at the launch of Ladbrokes’ “Gaffer of all Accas”, he said: “The Champions League final, in Istanbul, in 2005 is probably the worst memory of my career.
“When Rafa Benitez took over, I still had a year left on my contract, and I wasn’t playing. I think I was on the bench a couple of times, but nothing more than that.
“Most of the time, I was in the stands for the games. The team wasn’t doing so well in the league; I think we were seventh or eighth in the table, and we scraped through the first stages of the Champions League, with Steven Gerrard’s incredible last-minute goal against Olympiacos…
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“So, when the draw was made for the Last 16, I could see that our potential route after Bayer Leverkusen was a quarter-final against Juventus.
“They were the force in Italy, and everybody – myself included – thought we had no chance; that it was going to be the end of the road for us in Europe.
“I never thought for one second that we would end up in the Champions League final, and so in January, I wanted to go and play more football, so I took the opportunity to go up to Celtic, under Martin O’Neill.
“From Scotland, I was obviously following what Liverpool were doing in the Champions League… they beat Leverkusen, and then they beat Juventus, then we had the semi-final victory over Chelsea, and we were in the final, against AC Milan.
“When Liverpool played that final, I was actually alone, in Glasgow, watching that game in my hotel room.”
‘Like a Hollywood movie’
Henchoz has insisted that he was “pleased” for Liverpool but admitted he was left asking himself questions over his exit.
He added: “Like every Liverpool fan, I thought the first-half was terrible. 3-0 down against an AC Milan side who were just so much better… I never thought the comeback was on.
“The only thing I thought was possible was just that the team could make sure they didn’t get beat 5-0 or 6-0, and get humiliated in front of the whole world. And then we had that incredible second-half. This extraordinary comeback.
“The penalty shootout… it was just like a Hollywood movie, with a happy ending for Liverpool. Who would have played me in that Hollywood movie, sat in that hotel room? I don’t know! A poor guy…
“Obviously, in a way, I was so pleased for the club, and for my teammates, but I can tell you now, that was not a nice moment for me. You’re just thinking ‘why? Why did I choose to come to Celtic?’
“I know that I wouldn’t have started the game; I’m fairly sure of that, although you never know in football.”
“But maybe I would have been on the bench… making the squad. You know, and then I’d have been celebrating on that night, with the lads.
“It’s one of the biggest regrets in my career. Sometimes you make the wrong choices, and that was mine.”
Henchoz did win a trophy that season as he was a part of the Celtic side that lifted the Scottish Cup.
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However, he only stayed in Scotland for a short stint as he returned to England after his six-month contract ended.
The defender signed for Wigan Athletic and then returned to Blackburn before retiring in October 2008.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
