'You always have to be ready'
Istanbul hero Vladimir Smicer has drawn upon his own experiences to outline the importance of always being ready to seize an opportunity in football.
The former playmaker brought the curtain down on his Liverpool career in the best possible fashion - by coming off the bench to score in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan at the Ataturk Stadium and help the Reds bring the European Cup back to Anfield for a fifth time.
However, just 10 days earlier, Smicer had been left out of the Liverpool squad for the final Barclays Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa at Anfield.
"You never know what is going to happen tomorrow in football, so that is why you must never let your standards drop and you must always be ready," the 38-year-old reflected.
"Something bad probably comes before something good. Instead of looking right or left, look at yourself."
Smicer, who is now the sports manager of the Czech national team, believes he wouldn't have been given the opportunity to bow out in style had he allowed his standards to slip in training.
He added: "A few days before I wasn't even in the squad for a game in which we were playing for peanuts. Now here was a game which affected the lives of everybody and the first player he (then manager Rafael Benitez) thought of was me. It's strange, but I think it shows everyone has a chance.
"I think if I hadn't trained well he would never have put me there.
"We were already 1-0 down and I said to myself, 'Vladi, this is your last game for Liverpool: a Champions League final. What more can you want?' I felt absolutely no pressure.
"At half-time I was thinking maybe Rafa hadn't made such a great change - we were 3-0 down - but when I scored I knew we'd score another.
"What happened to me is the beauty of football. You have to believe that one day the manager will call you. So you have to be ready."
In total, Smicer made 184 appearances for Liverpool during the course of his six years on Merseyside following his transfer from Lens in 1999.
He admits he found it difficult to adjust to the demands and responsibilities that come with representing the Reds initially, but by the end of his time at Anfield he was well versed in the Liverpool Way.
"I played for an average team in France and suddenly I went to a huge team in Liverpool where the fans' expectation is for you to play well and for the team to always win," he said.
"That is something you have to get used to. The longer I was there, the more I understood what Liverpool was.
"Joining Liverpool is not about having a good contract, it is about making sure Liverpool move forward and making sure you understand the responsibility you have with the Liverpool fans."