League Cup memories: Dudek on '03 MOTM display

The former Anfield goalkeeper put in a Man of the Match performance to help the Reds beat Manchester United 2-0 in the 2003 League Cup final, a feat which his manager remarkably predicted in the build-up to the game.

Gerard Houllier was confident the Polish stopper could bounce back from a costly error against the Red Devils earlier in the same season, and was proven right.

After a spell on the sidelines, Dudek was thrust back into action at the Millennium Stadium and frustrated United with a number of brilliant saves to preserve Steven Gerrard’s first-half strike before Michael Owen grabbed an important second late on.

The ‘keeper not only earned himself a winner’s medal that day; he was also handed the Alan Hardaker Trophy – the award given to the best performer in the League Cup final each year – during the presentation at the end of the game.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Dudek recalled: “I didn’t play for about two months [before the game], then suddenly we get to the final and Houllier came to me and said: ‘Jerzy, you’re going to play the final, we all know what happened at Anfield against United but you’re going to play this game and I’m sure you’ll be the Man of the Match.’

“I said: ‘Thanks boss, for not putting pressure on me!’ He said the game belonged to me and it was great.”

Thousands of hopeful Liverpool supporters will make the journey to the capital this weekend as Jürgen Klopp tries to secure silverware within five months of being appointed manager.

Dudek was taken aback by the sheer number of fans who travelled to Wales for the 2003 showpiece, though the man who would become a hero in Istanbul two years later always felt he thrived on the big occasion.

He said: “There were a huge amount of Liverpool supporters in front of our hotel and we were struggling to go through to the stadium in our bus. I was surprised that so many people were with us.

“But I was always much more scared about the small games than the big games. You feel a little bit of excitement before games like this but the most difficult time for the supporters and players is to lead into the game.

“When you’re on the pitch these emotions are gone and you feel good. I never really felt very nervous before the game.

“I’ve played a lot of times in Cardiff, I love the stadium. You cannot put extra pressure on yourself because there’s enough pressure outside a football stadium.

“[Finals] are always special games and especially when you play Manchester United. The roof was closed and it was a fantastic atmosphere. They had a fantastic team as well with David Beckham, Paul Scholes, and Fabien Barthez in goal.

“At the end, we won it. I played a decent game and I was really focused. I felt there was pressure on me to bounce back from the Anfield game and fortunately I did it. It was a fantastic feeling.”

Despite receiving an individual accolade for his performance that day, Dudek credited the victory to an excellent display by Houllier’s whole team, not least the defenders in front of him.

“I didn’t expect the Man of The Match, I just wanted to win the cup,” he added.

“It was a great moment for us because we didn’t have the best time in the league and the final came at the right time for us.

“Stephane Henchoz cleared one from the line and Sami and Carra played well. You never win by yourself. When you watch from the outside you think ‘the goalkeeper won by himself’ but you never win by yourself. You need a team performance and someone to score.

“At the end of the day, we are all professionals and we all live for this.”