Gerrard longs for another magical night

Having spent the night with the UEFA Champions League trophy after Liverpool FC's miraculous comeback success against AC Milan in the 2005 final, Steven Gerrard is feeling the pressure building as the Reds' 2008/09 campaign begins against R. Standard de Liège this week.

Pressure
For a local lad who grew up supporting Liverpool from the Kop, his responsibility as captain is one he feels acutely. "I enjoy being captain of Liverpool football club; it's a role I relish," he told uefa.com. "It helps my performances. I try to go out on the pitch and lead by example. To get glory and be successful in this game you have to make a lot of sacrifices, perform under pressure and take an awful lot of responsibility on board."

Strong ties
Few players can boast such strong ties to their local club, and Gerrard believes that bond is vital to success. "If you look at most successful teams they have at least one homegrown player. We're lucky here to have two, myself and Jamie Carragher. It's a good link between the supporters and the team. It also helps the other players realise what the club wants and to transmit the history of the club. Being local you have the responsibility to help foreign players settle and make sure they're happy. When you're in the dressing room before a big game they see your attitude and the way you're behaving, so they get an idea how important it is to play football here."

'Sad faces'
It is on the pitch, though, that Gerrard makes the most compelling case. He has a stubborn, obsessive refusal to accept defeat. Late, match-turning goals have become as much a trademark of the 28-year-old's game as the fulsome tackle or killer pass. Goals, though, need not be late to be timely. Think of Gerrard, arms raised exhorting players and fans alike after pulling Liverpool back into the 2005 UEFA Champions League final with a goal shortly after the interval. "Going in 3-0 down at half-time there were a lot of sad faces in the dressing room. It was my responsibility to try and lift the team, to tell my team-mates it wasn't over. That goal gave us a little bit of hope, a little bit of belief."

'A miracle'
Three years on just thinking of Istanbul still sends a shiver down Gerrard's spine. "It was a miracle, being 3-0 down and coming back to 3-3; then extra time and penalties and the save from Jerzy [Dudek] late on in extra time. Then [Andrei] Shevchenko, one of the best players I've ever played against, missing a penalty. It was a miracle." Having claimed the trophy, Gerrard slept with it in his bed, determined not to let it out of his sight. He would like to be reunited soon. "Great memories, memories I'll never forget. It was the best night of my footballing career so far. I'd love nothing better than to go and achieve it again."