Hamann recalls Istanbul miracle

For the first half in Istanbul, the German had to watch the game from the bench after being surprisingly left out of the starting XI by Rafael Benitez.

Despite his frustration, he remained focused and determined to be ready in case he was needed during the night.

Indeed, his introduction at half-time proved to be an inspirational move as Liverpool staged one of the greatest comebacks of all time to recover from 3-0 down to win the final on penalties.

Hamann said: "I was disappointed first of all not to start the game because I expected to start.

"Rafa never gave anything away when it came to team selection and when I found out it was disappointing because it is the biggest game in club football, but you have to get on with it.

"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."

In playing down his contribution to the comeback of all comebacks, Hamann added: "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."

As the Reds prepare for a return to the Champions League, a special new film - 'One Night in Istanbul' - will be released exclusively in ODEON cinemas from Thursday September 11, with exclusive previews on September 10.

Ahead of the film's launch, fans in the United Kingdom have a special opportunity to scoop two passes for the 'One Night in Istanbul' premiere in Liverpool, while those from the rest of the world could win a shirt signed by an Anfield legend.

Entering the prize draw is simple - to be eligible for the draw, simply ensure that you follow the @LFC Twitter account and then share your personal memories of Istanbul, either using text or images, with a tweet that includes the hashtag #OneNightInIstanbul.

The closing date for submissions is 12pm BST on Friday September 5, limited to one entry per valid Twitter account per person. Winners will subsequently be notified via direct message once the random draw has taken place.

Tickets to see the film can be pre-ordered now at any of the following ODEON cinemas: Liverpool One; Liverpool Switch Island; Warrington; Bromborough; Wrexham; Broadway Plaza, Birmingham; Glasgow Quay; Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff; Panton Street, London; Victoria Square, Belfast; Point Village, Dublin. Click here to book.

Click here to book for Ireland showings.

Stay logged on to Liverpoolfc.com during the coming weeks for further exclusive news about the film that no Liverpool supporter will want to miss, and keep up to date on Twitter by following @ONIIMovie and#OneNightInIstanbul.