Liverpool have had a host of amazing players over the years and, even if his heroics at Anfield weren’t legendary, Fernando Morientes has a CV comparable to many greats.
Speaking exclusively with Empire of the Kop’s Substack, John Welsh recalled events in Istanbul: ‘We were walking down, there must have been about 60 or 70 people trying to get on the pitch and the stewards weren’t letting anyone past. Then it just seemed to happen where everyone parted and Fernando Morientes, who is a god in world football who’s been there, seen it, done it, and he walked to the front.
‘The steward must have seen him and was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, you can come on.’ And then Fernando Morientes could have just walked away and walked on the pitch but he managed to turn around and was pointing all the young lads out saying, ‘Yeah, he’s with us, he’s with us’.’
It was a selfless act that the Spaniard really didn’t have to do but says a lot about him as a person to think of the younger teammates, whilst watching his side win the European Cup.
The academy graduates and other squad members who never made the matchday squad against AC Milan deserved their place in with the celebrations on such a famous evening.
Especially the man telling the story, after playing in the knockout round of the tournament that season, who clearly has a lot of respect for the ex-Real Madrid striker.
For the lads who had been in training every day, competing against the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Xabi Alonso, they had more than played their part.
Rafa Benitez may not have been the warmest character with his players but his fellow countryman certainly showed his true colours in this moment.
It’s not often that you hear a behind the scenes story and it makes you feel better about a player but this is certainly one of them!
