Henchoz sends his regards

By Alex O'Henley

Swiss international defender Stéphane Henchoz hopes his former Liverpool FC team-mates can overcome AC Milan in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League final.

Glasgow calling
The 30-year-old centre-back left Anfield at the turn of the year to join Celtic FC on a short-term deal having fallen out of the first team under Rafael Benítez, and has watched with surprise and admiration as Liverpool disposed first of Juventus FC and then Chelsea FC to reach the Istanbul showpiece.

Unique competition
"Like everybody else, I didn't expect Liverpool to go so far in the Champions League," Henchoz told uefa.com. "It is surprising when you consider the way they have played in the Premiership this season, but the Champions League is a different type of competition and Liverpool have done very well, especially when it came to the knockout stages against Juventus and Chelsea.

Even odds
"They have a very good chance of winning the final," he added. "At one stage I thought Juventus would be too strong but Liverpool went through. Then I thought that Chelsea would be tough and again they went through. I suppose everyone will say that AC Milan are the favourites for the final, but it's a one-off game and for me, it's very much 50-50 at the moment."

Defensive priorities
Henchoz helped Liverpool win the UEFA Cup as part of Gérard Houllier's treble-winning side of 2001, but if the Reds are to become champions of Europe for a fourth time he feels they will have to be at their best defensively in Istanbul, citing his former defensive partner Sami Hyypiä and the man who replaced him at centre-back, Jamie Carragher, as the key players along with captain Steven Gerrard.

No way back
"If you concede two or three goals against AC Milan, it's very unlikely that you will be able to score three or four in return," he warned. "So, to have a chance of winning the final they have to be solid at the back. Jamie has done very well since the manager moved him into the centre of defence from right-back. It was difficult for Benítez to change the team after that which made it harder for me to get a chance.

Winning skills
"It's a bit strange that Sami was on the bench for some of the league games this season, but he has played every single game in the Champions League and scored a couple of very important goals," he added. "As for Stevie, he's the best player in the team - there's no doubt about that - and if he plays to the best of his ability, he's the type of player who can win the game for Liverpool."

Small regrets
As his former team-mates prepare for what is likely to be the biggest game of their careers, Henchoz confessed to having moments of regret in recent weeks over his decision to leave Anfield and he will look on with a degree of envy as his former team-mates take the field at the Atatürk Olympic stadium.

Personal disappointment
"I would like to be there - it would be a lie to say otherwise," he admitted. "Even if you are not really involved, you are still in the squad and a Champions League final is something that every player wants to be part of. Sometimes I think about that and it's a bit of a shame for me personally, but it doesn't pay to look back too much in life and once the decision has been taken, you just have to get on with it."