Steven: I'm so proud to have lifted FA Cup
With Liverpool set to launch their campaign for an eighth FA Cup triumph at AFC Wimbledon tonight, captain Steven Gerrard has been reflecting on his pride at having hoisted aloft the famous trophy.
The No.8 was the skipper on May 13, 2006 at the Millennium Stadium, where incredible drama unfolded in a memorable meeting with West Ham United that concluded in a 3-3 draw after extra time.
That the contest progressed to penalties was almost exclusively due to Gerrard's refusal to concede defeat against an opponent that had previously led 2-0 and 3-2 in the showpiece.
After Djibril Cisse's volley had provided hope for the Reds, it was the midfielder who strode onto a Peter Crouch knockdown early in the second half and lashed an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net to restore parity.
Yet with mere seconds remaining to play, his team trailed again. Until Gerrard seized upon a loose ball and, despite the onset of cramp and fatigue, thundered another equaliser from fully 30 yards that whistled home gloriously and prompted joyous scenes among the gathered Kopites.
A subsequent penalty shootout victory allowed him to lift the cup on Liverpool's behalf and add a second medal from the competition to his collection following the smash-and-grab win over Arsenal five years earlier.
Before setting off on a new quest in the tournament, the 34-year-old cast his mind back to favourite memories from the past for BBC3's '50 Greatest FA Cup Moments' programme - excerpts are below, while LFCTV GO subscribers can watch more on demand.
On his stunning equaliser from long range against West Ham...
The reason I hit my shot to get the second equaliser was just through sheer tiredness. If I was feeling fresh, I would have certainly controlled that and tried to build up an attack and play it out wide. But every part of my body was aching - I had sore hamstrings, calves, groins. When it fell to me, it was a lucky one; hit it as hard as you can and I caught it with probably the sweetest connection I've had in my career. To see that one hit the back of the net was a bit of a shock because of how far out I was, but I'll take it! In my career, if I had to pick my top three performances - where everything went right in the 90 minutes and extra time - the West Ham final would certainly be up there. I peaked on that day and it was one of my favourite performances that I've ever had, and I'm close to 700 now. It was a big day for me.
On the feeling of winning that FA Cup...
It was one of the best feelings I've had during my career. When you're a young English boy growing up, the FA Cup is such a big event. We used to have street parties when the FA Cup was on, even if Liverpool weren't involved - because the FA Cup is so iconic and memorable in this country. Every foreign player that comes over takes a special attachment to the FA Cup because of all the memories and the history. To actually lift one over your head and contribute in a final was certainly one of the biggest highlights in my career. I'm so proud to say I've won the cup.