Dudek desperate for second chance

One image is freeze-framed on the mind of Jerzy Dudek. There are two minutes of extra time remaining in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final. Liverpool FC, after their heroic second-half comeback, are exhausted and hanging on when Andriy Shevchenko lunges to meet a cross from from the left.

'Confident'
The Polish goalkeeper saves brilliantly to keep out the AC Milan striker's close-range attempt then somehow recovers in time to get his body in front of the follow up as Shevchenko lashes the rebound at goal. Any doubts Liverpool had that this was there night vanished then and there. "I still have these images in front of my eyes," Dudek said. "It lifted everyone in the stands and on our team. After that I was so confident that when it came to penalties I was just enjoying myself. It was fantastic."

Friends
Shevchenko and Dudek have had plenty of time to relive that moment. The pair worked together as ambassadors for Poland and Ukraine's successful joint-bid for UEFA EURO 2012™ and celebrated together after their nations were last month chosen to joint-host the tournament in Cardiff. "Since the final I have been very much connected with Andriy Shevchenko so we have had a lot of time to chat about that [double save]. He couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe it, but things happen. We can say we're friends now. We did a good job at the presentation [for UEFA EURO 2012™] in Cardiff and again that day we found something we thought was impossible was possible after all."

'Pressure'
Having taken the 2005 final to penalties against the odds, Dudek was going to do everything in his power to ensure his side lifted the trophy. Defender Jamie Carragher reminded him of Bruce Grobbelaar's famous wobbly-knee antics in the 1984 final against AS Roma and Dudek followed the advice to the letter. "That was something that could put much more pressure on the players. If you see a keeper doing the usual stuff then you follow your penalty routine. But when they saw me doing that dance they lost their minds a little bit. The pressure was higher and it worked very well."

'Dudek dance'
As the tension rose before the shoot-out, Dudek was preparing to put into practise what goalkeeping coach José Ochotorena and manager Rafael Benítez had prepared him for. "We work on that part of the game very much," Dudek said. "We study it and get tips from Rafa Benítez as well. He comes to us before the game and gives us the details on who shoots where. It's all about timing, a little bit of luck and timing. If you go one second before the penalty is taken you're done, because it will be put on the other side. It works very well and most of the time the tips are right. But in the Champions League final they were all taking penalties to the opposite side. But it was different. I just waited to see what they were going to do because of the Dudek dance."

Prepared
The rest is history. Serginho blazed over before Dudek saved from Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko to win Liverpool the cup for a fifth time. He may no longer command a starting place, but Dudek is ready to repeat his heroics if called upon. "The gaffer may need every player, he has said that before. I need to be ready and fresh and mentally prepared even if I won't be playing. I will do everything I can to make sure Liverpool win this sixth one. We did last time, why shouldn't we do it again?"

This article is based on an interview with UEFA Champions League Weekly, the UEFA Champions League's official television programme.