The players: How we won it in 2005

From Jerzy Dudek recalling how advice from Jamie Carragher was inspirational ahead of the penalty shootout, through to the defender himself braving the pain of cramp to make some incredible clearances, the class of 2005 wrote themselves into Anfield folklore forever.

So, 10 years on from Liverpool winning the European Cup for a fifth time, here's what it meant to the squad to be remembered for their part in arguably the best final of all time.

Jerzy Dudek: "Jamie Carragher jumped on my back and grabbed hold of me telling me to put them under pressure and do something to put them off like Bruce Grobbelaar did in 1984. When Vladi scored I didn't realise if Shevchenko didn't score we had won. I just had my focus and desire to try and stop every penalty. I saw him walking up and saw the fear in his eyes. I managed to save it and I then saw Jamie and the other players running towards me and I realised it was finished...it was a beautiful moment. There was no one single hero, we were all heroes to come back from 3-0 down and to win on penalties was something special."

Steve Finnan: "It was disappointing to get injured and then I missed all of our three goals and because I was still in the changing rooms. I came back out for the remainder of the game but when you are involved in a game like that, it's just about winning. I knew it was us that was scoring because of the amount of noise that was being made. It happened so quickly and I just didn't have time to get out there. It's all about the club winning and it's nice to play your part."

Djimi Traore: "When we got into the dressing room we just said 'It's over,' but the manager found the right words and gave us back our confidence. The first thing Rafa said was 'Don't let your heads drop. All the players who will get on the pitch after half-time have to keep their heads held high. We are Liverpool, you are playing for Liverpool. Do not forget that. You have to hold your heads high for the supporters. You have to do it for them. You cannot call yourselves Liverpool players if you have your heads down. If we create a few chances we have the possibility of getting back into this. Believe you can do it and we will. Give yourselves the chance to be heroes'."

Sami Hyypia: "I think every player dreams of winning the Champions League at some time in their career or even just to be in the final and I have managed to play in the final and win it. Istanbul is definitely a highlight of my life and I think from a fan point of view the way the game went made it even more special. Even the neutral fans of football will remember this game forever because to come back from 3-0 down against AC Milan and then go on to win it is an incredible result. It will stay in the memories of the players and the fans for the rest of our lives."

Jamie Carragher: "It is one of the greatest finals of all time. We were all deflated at half-time. We knew we had to get the next goal and we knew we had to push up. When we got the goal Milan just seemed to go. The save Jerzy Dudek made from Shevchenko at the end was unbelievable. I think Steven Gerrard's performance is definitely one of the greatest performances of any player ever in a European Cup final without a doubt - maybe even the best ever. 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. 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."

John Arne Riise: "When you are losing 3-0 at half-time in a game like that you expect to get shouted at by the manager. All our heads were down. But the manager was very quiet and calm and explained what we were going to do. He wanted us to lift our heads, which we did. He said if we got a goal anything can happen. That is what we did and in the end, once Steven Gerrard scored with the header, you could see the change in the faces of the players. We all seemed to get extra energy and the fans were lifted as well. We knew we had a chance. We just had to keep going."

Xabi Alonso: "To lift that trophy in the first season was a dream come true. We were lucky to live so many big nights on the way to Istanbul, like Olympiacos, Chelsea, Juventus - those were fantastic nights and it was the perfect start for many of us. It was a miracle. After scoring the third goal you had the feeling our name was written on the trophy. It was unbelievable afterwards. After so many years, bringing Liverpool back to where they deserved to be - you could see the faces and the happiness of the people around Liverpool and wherever we went. Sharing those moments with them was fantastic and totally unforgettable. It is a final in the memory of all football supporters. They have it in their mind, it was the greatest comeback ever, so wherever I go they have that memory."

Harry Kewell: "The Champions League final a few years ago was the biggest game in my club career. I came off injured. It then became one of the biggest comebacks in football history and I wasn't a part of that."

Luis Garcia: "We were sitting in the dressing room and we could clearly hear thousands of fans singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. Can you imagine how that felt? We were 3-0 down in the Champions League final and all we could hear were 45,000 people letting us know they still believed in us. We knew they had endured a long journey and made so many sacrifices to be there. It was at that point we started to believe too."

Steven Gerrard: "I was last to react because I had to grasp the fact that I didn't have to take the penalty. I had prepared myself so much for that penalty - I knew exactly where it was going, so it was just relief. As Shevchenko walked up to take the pen, Carra shouted across, 'It's all going to be down to you, son!' I thought, 'I know that, cheers'. I knew I was going to have to step forward and take the last penalty, because Shevchenko is not going to miss from 12 yards, it's impossible. But I don't think he was fully focused. He was still thinking back to the chance when he could have won it for them in extra-time and Jerzy pulled off a world-class save. For the best striker in the world, on current form the best finisher in the world, to miss from six yards and then from 12 yards, well, it's your night. Simple as that. If he was to get those two chances now he would take them 10 times out of 10, but that night he missed both. That's why we play the beautiful game!"

Milan Baros: "I think it is the greatest game I have ever played in. Especially when we were 3-0 down at half-time and still managed to win. It was a special night and I think it was my best night in my football career. Liverpool will always stay in my heart."

Dietmar Hamann: "I was disappointed first of all not to start the game because I expected to start. There's no point sulking because, as Gerard Houllier used to say, you can be disappointed for five seconds and then get on with supporting your teammates. It was funny when we came back out actually because I was warming up and I thought we were going to start with 12 men because Djimi Traore came out. He had gone into the shower when I was told I was coming on for him, but then I found out Steve Finnan was injured so Djimi was back out. I don't think I personally changed the game because the game changed in the second half for various reasons. Me coming on allowed Stevie to play further up the field and join in the attacks and also AC Milan took their foot off the gas. We had the belief and the team spirit to punish them for that. It felt like a dream at the time and it probably took us a few hours to realise we had done it."

Vladimir Smicer: "Rafa told me to play my game and just to enjoy it when I was going on. I told him, 'Don't worry, boss, I will - it's my last game.' I remember my goal really well. Didi [Hamann] passed me the ball and I had no other option than to hit the ball because there was nobody on the right or left, so I tried to hit the ball and I hit it well. It's definitely one of the greatest goals I've ever scored. Because of this strike, I could touch the Champions League trophy. I never scored many goals from outside the box, so I was happy to see it go in. After I scored [the penalty] my emotions were running really, really high and my celebrations were a way of saying goodbye to the club. It was definitely the highest moment of my career - I played in the Champions League final and scored two goals, that has to be the peak of my career."

Djibril Cisse: "I was out for six months but I've come back to help Liverpool win the Champions League. It's amazing and I can't believe my dream came true. This is one of the best days of my life. Just to get on in the match was brilliant for me and to score a goal in the penalty shootout was extra special. I was nervous before taking the kick as I knew how important it was to the club and also to our wonderful fans."