Carra: Stevie takes the breath away
Jamie Carragher has lauded Steven Gerrard as a player capable of 'moments which take your breath away' and believes his performance in Istanbul in 2005 will go down as one of the best ever seen in a European Cup final.
The skipper has just one more game remaining - away at Stoke City on Sunday - before he calls time on 17 years as a first-team player for the Reds and heads to the United States to join LA Galaxy.
He was treated to an emotional farewell by the Anfield crowd in his final home fixture last Saturday, with supporters coming together to mark the departure of a club legend.
Like the No.8, Carragher was a local lad who emerged from the club's Academy to enjoy a trophy-laden career, and the pair enjoyed many of their defining moments together.
But it is the captain's efforts in the Champions League final win over AC Milan that most stick out for the former defender, as he revealed in 'Gerrard: My Liverpool', the forthcoming LFCTV documentary celebrating a legendary figure.
"I think definitely one of the greatest performances of any player ever in a European Cup final without a doubt - maybe even the best ever," said Carragher.
"Because of the fact that he played different positions in that game. He started in centre midfield, he then went into the No.10 role off the front and I think he got his goal there.
"He then got a penalty from there as well so he gets us back into the game. We're then having problems after they've made substitutions because [Vladimir] Smicer was playing as a wing-back, not really suited to it.
"I think Serginho came on so he was swapped then with Smicer and then he becomes a right wing-back so he's played in three positions within the first 70 minutes of a European Cup final.
"His performance, blocking crosses and getting in tackles at right wing-back or right full-back really.
"I mean, how many other players could do that in a European Cup final? You're not playing against a Mickey Mouse team, you're playing against some of the best players in the world."
The heroics witnessed at the Ataturk Stadium 10 years ago would not have been possible were it not for a crucial win over Olympiacos in the final group game of that season's competition.
After the Greeks took a first-half lead at Anfield through a Rivaldo free-kick, Rafael Benitez's team knew they needed to win by two clear goals to ensure progression via the head-to-head rule.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Neil Mellor netted in the 47th and 81st minutes respectively to put the Reds ahead on the night, but they were still heading for the exit.
However, up stepped Gerrard at the end to claim a place in the knockout stages with a memorable half-volley, a strike which Carragher believes underlines his friend's ability to make key contributions when the chips are down.
"He was massive [on the way to the final], wasn't he? And you can go through that run to Istanbul and one of the greatest moments beside the final is Olympiacos because nothing else comes after that without that," he added.
"We'd have been in the UEFA Cup as it was then. So that's what I'm talking about.
"On the day I don't think Steven Gerrard had his best game and there was stuff before the game, talk in the press about coming or going, Champions League qualification, and it probably didn't help his performance.
"But he still produces that moment that no-one else on the pitch can produce.
"And that's what makes him different to virtually every other player of his time. He has moments that no-one else can match and that was certainly one of them.
"I always think Steven's a player who has moments in games that no-one else can touch, the moments which take your breath away."
Carragher also played alongside Gerrard in the 2006 FA Cup final, when another trademark rescue act was required.
Liverpool were struggling against an unfancied West Ham United team in Cardiff on that May day, but their captain simply would not be denied.
As the Bootle-born defender recalled: "He created the first goal, and when I say create we're talking about a 40- or 50-yard pass right on to [Djibril Cisse]'s chest, not someone rolling the ball 10 yards to someone. Unbelievable.
"His first goal, our second goal. That gets forgotten because the equaliser was so good and takes us to extra-time. He then scores a penalty in the shootout as well.
"I talk about moments in the game. Those four moments won us the cup. No-one else really played that well, we should've beat West Ham.
"I think we'd just ran out of gas by the end of the season, I think we'd been to Tokyo that year, we'd been in the Super Cup, I think we'd started the season early because of the Champions League stuff about going in or out.
"And I think we were just shattered at the end and without him there's not a chance, not a prayer we'd have won that cup final with four massive moments.
"As I said before, Steven Gerrard is synonymous with moments in football matches and no-one can match those."