After a brief spell in the media wilderness, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has began his tentative return to the spotlight.
Writing once again for The Telegraph ahead of Liverpool's Champions League final clash with Real Madrid tonight, Carragher, one of Liverpool's heroes from 2005's Champions League triumph against AC Milan, has also been appearing on Norway's Viasport Fotball.
With Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool arguably in a more promising position tonight than Rafa Benitez's side were in 2005, Carragher was reliving a night that brought him both his greatest, and "worst moment of my professional career."
Walking off at half-time in Istanbul, with Liverpool trailing a rampant AC Milan team 3-0, Carragher, amid the crushing disappointment, found room for some cunning trickery.
Recalling the crushing silence of the dressing room at half-time, Carragher reveals how the players could hear in the distance the resilience of a Liverpool crowd still belting out, "You'll Never Walk Alone."
Although it almost left the players feeling worse given the extremes their fans had went to to be present in Istanbul, it was only when Liverpool made their way back onto the pitch that Carragher spotted an opportunity.
Spotting Milan's Gennaro Gattuso gesticulating wildly in front of the Milan fans trying to encourage them to match the enthusiasm of the Liverpool contingent in the stands, Carragher, speaking to his own players, gave them the gentle impression that the Italian was in fact already celebrating:
You have to try to use any kind of motivation. At that time we were down in the dumps, and to be honest, you look at it and you think, 'Is he celebrating?'
Now, Gattuso isn't that type of person, and, anyway, he wasn't celebrating at the end.
Undoubtedly hoping for an equally inspiring Liverpool performance tonight, fans of the club will preferably not want to go through the travails of 2005 again.
