The 2006 FA Cup Final is remembered by many as "the Gerrard final" due to one of the great individual performances in a cup final by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard scored twice (including that infamous thunderbolt that took the game to extra-time right at the death) as well as assisting a third goal, and drove his team on to eventually win on penalties, but it turns out that his own manager had someone else in mind for the man of the match award.
Jamie Carragher recently interview his old pal Steven Gerrard for the Daily Mail, and the two shared bracketed laughter when they recalled who Rafa singled out for praise after the final whistle.
CARRAGHER: So you set up one, scored two and then slotted a penalty in the shootout — and Rafa (Benitez) said afterwards Momo Sissoko was man of the match!
GERRARD: (laughs) That’s right! To be fair to Momo, he didn’t suffer from the occasion. He wasn’t drained or cramping up at the end of the game like a lot of us.
Sissoko did have a good game, but what a hipster choice that was from Rafa Benitez.
Gerrard also went on to reveal that fear of the result not going Liverpool's way meant that he didn't sleep the night before the final, which makes his performance on the day all that more impressive:
Before the game, I started to think how I wouldn’t be able to cope if we didn’t get the Cup. With all due respect, it was West Ham. We had the star names. I remember not being able to sleep the night before. When you are a footballer, what people on the outside don’t understand is the fear that grips you about it not going well. It stops you sleeping. It drains you.
Momo Sissoko probably slept like a baby.
It was an unforgettable night for Liverpool fans and players alike, and you can read Carragher and Gerrard's take on events over on DailyMail.co.uk
