Vladimir Smicer thinks Nunez just needs time, says Gerrard will have to earn the Liverpool job, relives the Miracle of Istanbul, and tells how Benitez dismissed him after the Champions League

Vladimir Smicer spent six years with Liverpool, but will forever be remembered for his performance in the 2005 Champions League final in his last game for the club.

The Reds trailed 3-0 to AC Milan at half-time, but the Czech midfielder scored the second goal as a substitute in a stunning comeback as the Reds fought back to draw 3-3 in Istanbul and then struck what was effectively the winning penalty in the shoot-out.

In an exclusive interview with Ladbrokes: Fanzone, Smicer spoke about that famous night, his memories of Rafael Benitez and his thoughts on Darwin Nunez amongst other subjects.

Reds looked good during pre-season in Asia

Liverpool aren’t performing as well as they should be. This season feels different to the last few seasons. We are losing and drawing with teams we should be winning against. Brighton are having a great season, getting some excellent results, so it’s not easy to play against them. But still, we are not used to getting less than three points against these sides and conceding three goals at home should never be considered.

I was with Liverpool in Asia pre-season and they looked good and you would not have expected the season to start this way. I was also with the team pre-season when they won the league, but it doesn’t look like I had the same affect this time!

It is still too early to predict where they will finish in the league. I think the last week of last season is still in their heads. They lost the Premier League and the Champions League final. The players were obviously disappointed by that and they needed to freshen their minds up after that and to be freer. From what I can see, they haven’t shaken that off. I do see them finishing in the top four though. They have the quality to be there or thereabouts, they just need to find their rhythm and get focused.

Nunez needs time

Something doesn’t work within the team right now and I just hope Jurgen Klopp figures it out and finds a solution. If Klopp has a chance to buy a player who will fit in the team he will go for it but you need to have a Sadio Mane. We bought Darwin Nunez and Man City bought Erling Haaland – you can see the difference! I do think we need to give Nunez the chance and the time and I think he will be very good.

I have no problem with giving him time. It is the midfield where we are lacking options. I think Harvey Elliott showed us some good moments but he is still young and isn’t as regular as we need. The team is complete now so we need to work with them and be patient.

I do think silverware is possible for Liverpool this season and they will compete for every trophy that is possible. I think we will see where we stand after the World Cup. I can’t say Liverpool won’t win the league, because look at how they took off at Christmas last season and went so close. I am taking it game by game.

Gerrard will manage Reds one day, but may not follow Klopp

I am a Klopp fan. He has made the club better, he progresses players and wins trophies. I believe we will be back winning as well. He has signed a new contract and it’s good news. Someday he will move on, that’s life. It will open opportunities for other managers though and when I say others, I am talking about Steven Gerrard.

I think one day he will be manager, although I don’t know if it will be straight after Klopp. I think it would be great for the fans and the club. He has a tough job at the moment. It is not always totally in the manager’s hands. You need to have a good team around you.

I think Mikel Arteta is a good example of how someone can turn it around. People called for him to be sacked in the past and now look, he is doing a great job. They were patient with him and now the rewards are there to see. I think Stevie G was a great player but to be manager of Liverpool you need a lot of experience. Starting his career in Scotland was a good move and now he is in the Premier League. He will need to really show some success though before taking that step. Having a star name isn’t enough, you need to have the CV to back it up. He has to earn it.

Stevie G was always serious at training. He would give it 100%. He was a great and natural leader. He didn’t talk that much, he just showed his leadership on the pitch and that is why I respected him so much. Yes, in the dressing room, he was good fun and full of jokes, and always friendly with the new players. Of course I was of the older generation so I hung out with the older guys and he was with the younger guys.

Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would play such an important part that night

I couldn’t have finished my Liverpool career any better. I am so glad to be a part of history and a part of one of the best games ever in the Champions League. I played my small part in the final and to this day, it makes me very happy. Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined that I would play such an important part that night. Before the game, one part of me was happy because we were in the Champions League final. I knew I was going to be on the bench so I just wanted to enjoy the moment. The other part of me was sad, because I was leaving the club and this was my last game. I was just wishing I could play a few minutes in the final and win the trophy.

I was just surprised that Rafa Benitez chose me to come on. There was Didi Hamann and Djibril Cisse. I know Hamann was expecting to play but he was starting on the bench. When I saw that Harry Kewell was injured I was surprised he picked me but obviously so happy. I just thought to myself, “It’s your last day, you need to show something”. I was completely free in my head with no pressure. When Benitez told me I was up, he just told me to be careful because Maldini is playing against you and to try to be offensive. We were 1-0 down at that point. We had 10 days of preparing for this game so everyone knew what to do. I knew the tactics and it was easy for me. I could just go out there, enjoy it and play my game.

It wasn’t even my dream as a child, I just wanted to be a professional footballer but I never had a target like that

I was really nervous taking that penalty. I knew it was going to be my last kick for Liverpool and I said to myself “Vlady you have to score, if you miss, you can never come back to Liverpool.” In the end, it was the winning penalty because Jerzy made a great save against Shevchenko and we won the trophy.

I felt so special and it was definitely the highlight of my football career. It wasn’t even my dream as a child, I just wanted to be a professional footballer but I never had a target like that. The aftermath was a bit of everything. I said “Vlady you can’t drink too much”. I wanted to enjoy this feeling. Emotions were so high.

I thought he might have said something more, but it was just a thank you and a bye

After the tour, I went to see Rafael Benitez before I flew back to Prague because I was thinking maybe he would give me a one- or two-year contract. I went to see him and said, “So Rafa, I am leaving tomorrow to go to Prague and I just wanted to say goodbye and thank you for everything.” He responded, “OK, Vlady, thank you for the final and bye.” I thought he might have said something more, but it was just a thank you and a bye. It was sad because I care about Liverpool, they were like a family to me after six years, so it was hard to leave.

Benitez was honest. He told me in February that he wouldn’t be giving me a new contract. So I guess I had prepared myself to leave but still, I wanted to show him that I was a good player in my last four months. That was my motivation. I liked the way we trained, he prepared the team tactically. However, he would change the team too much. If we won 3-0 he would change two or three players and he was constantly doing this. If I am playing well, leave me be and let me play all the time. I think all the players had the same mentality as me. There were always rumours that Xabi Alonso and Javi Mascherano were unhappy with it and I don’t think Gerrard was entirely pleased either. That was the thing I didn’t like about him, but the training sessions and how he prepared the team tactically was a good experience for me and I was happy to train under him.

I told him what I thought and usually I would never have spoken to the managers like that

I went to see him on the last game before the Champions League final, ahead of our home game against Aston Villa in the league. He rested Gerrard and Luis Garcia and I asked if I could play for my last game at Anfield and to say thank you to the fans. He left me out of the squad. I told him that he has no respect for me after six years and that I deserved to say goodbye at Anfield. He told me that the team came first, despite the fact that we were playing for nothing. I told him what I thought and usually I would never have spoken to a manager like that. It was worth it though because he gave me my chance in the Champions League. In my eyes, Rafa and I are still friends.

Signing for Liverpool came about when Steve McManaman left for Real Madrid and Gerard Houllier took over. He knew me from the French league and when he contacted me, it was my wish to sign for Liverpool. When I received the news that they really wanted to buy me, I was over the moon. My friend Patrik Berger was there and we played together at Slavia and the Czech national team. I knew it was another step for me in my career. Liverpool were one of the biggest clubs in the world and I was always progressing. From Slavia to Lens to Liverpool. It was a chance to win big trophies. It was fantastic.

I had offers from PSG and Monaco at the time. I think Lens wanted to sell me to Paris because they offered more money to the club! However, I just wanted to go to Liverpool. Firstly, it was the club I always supported as a boy. When I was a boy it was Liverpool who were the club winning trophies, winning the Champions League. As a child, you always support the winners! Plus, I didn’t want to sign for another French team. I played for Lens, I was great with the fans, and it was better for me to go elsewhere.

Robbie Fowler was really friendly and we’re still pals

Berger was a big help to me when I signed. I was very close with him. We both lived in Southport. Robbie Fowler is the other name I have to mention. He was great in the dressing room, always asked if I needed anything or wanted help. Both are really good friends. The late Norman Gard was looking after the players and was so good to me as well.

I was friends with Bruno Cheyrou, Stephane Henchoz and Sami Hyypia. It is difficult to pick, soon I will mention them all. In football you need to have a good group and we really did. The closer you are, the better you play. No beef in the dressing room for me!

It is great to be a part of Liverpool again joining up with them pre-season and so on. Sometimes it is difficult when you retire you know. It is your life and then it finishes. I enjoyed every minute at Liverpool. I think the most difficult thing is finding a different reward in life and to find your motivation again. It’s not possible to live life without a target. I was definitely happier in life when I was on the pitch and you can’t replace that.