Jerzy Dudek could barely conceal his delight after Liverpool produced a remarkable comeback to overcome Milan in the Champions League final.
“It was difficult to come back from 3-0 down but we did it. This is our night and for all the people who came here to support us, it was fantastic. We are in heaven now,” he said.
Goals from captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso in a seven-minute spell after half-time completed an amazing turnaround after Milan had taken a three goal lead.
Dudek was the hero for Liverpool, saving tiwce in the penalty shootout to help Liverpool to their fifth success in the competition.
“Jamie Carragher came to me and said ‘Remember Grobbelaar put them off all the time, you do the same’ – and I was trying to do it,” added the Pole.
Gerrard, who initiated the comeback, said of Dudek: “All credit to this man, he never let us put our heads down.
“We carried on playing and every one of us deserve credit. And I’m just made up with these fans, they’ve saved up for weeks and months to come here tonight.”
Liverpool coach Benitez said: “Now my problem is I don’t have words to express all the things I feel at this moment.
“We talked at halftime. We needed to do something and change things and we thought if we score it can be different.
“We conceded in the first moments. It’s difficult. We lost Harry Kewell and players with cramp but the players believed and we won. We changed something.”
Carragher, who defied tiredness and injury in the latter stages, struggled to come to terms with the enormity of the result.
“I don’t believe it, it must be one of the greatest European finals of all time. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, it was difficult to believe.
“At halftime we were all just deflated, the only thing we knew was that we had to get the next goal.
“When the first goal went in, though, you could just see it in them (the players), we thought we could do it.”
