Just a few hours after NSW almost pulled off the greatest comeback in the history of State of Origin, Liverpool did what no other team has done in 50 years of European Cup/Champions League history when it won a most remarkable final in Istanbul this morning – come back from three goals behind.

This was the famous club’s fifth and surely most celebrated win in Europe’s greatest club championship as Liverpool recovered after the shock of AC Milan’s opening goal less than a minute after the kick-off and two more goals from Chelsea-loaned Hernan Crespo to leave them looking hopelessly outclassed and staring down a 0-3 first half deficit.

The club’s now famously adopted song You’ll Never Walk Alone has never proved more apt or prescient as Liverpool not only walked through the storm, but finished with their heads held high knowing the world’s most cherished international club trophy was heading back to Merseyside after 21 years.

Captain Steven Gerrard began to turn the tide with his 54th minute goal before Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso levelled the match during a game-turning seven-minute spell and suddenly it was AC Milan looking desperate as Liverpool surged.

But 3-3 it remained until full time and 30 minutes of extra time couldn’t settle it either, although Liverpool can thank its keeper Jerzy Dudek for that after he performed two miraculous reflex saves with only three minutes remaining.

So yet again it fell to the iniquitous penalty shoot out to settle the champion club of Europe for 2005? Again it was Dudek who proved more than equal to the task as he saved penalty shots from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko, which immediately sent Liverpool players into raptures. It also propelled a football mad UK into an orgy of self-congratulation when so many felt before this game that there were at least three clubs at home better qualified to carry the torch into the final.