Liverpool star missed Champions League final parade and had to watch it on Sky Sports

Liverpool's 2005 Champions League triumph is a cherished memory for fans – but one player and boyhood fan has less fond recollections of the final.

Stephen Warnock, who had been a regular squad member under Rafa Benitez that season, was expecting to be involved in the Istanbul match. He was thrilled when he saw his name on the list of 18 players announced by Benitez.

However, what followed was, in Warnock's words, "an absolute disgrace". Assistant manager Pako Ayestaran called him to say there had been a mistake and he wasn't included after all. The left-back had already told his family to book their flights to Turkey.

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Watching from the stands as his team-mates staged an incredible comeback from 3-0 down to win on penalties was a bittersweet experience, reports the Mirror.

"It was hard for me because I'm a Liverpool fan, I grew up on the Kop and everything. I thought 'I f***ing hate this team, like what's going on here'. I was fuming, I was so angry," he revealed on the Undr The Cosh podcast.

"I didn't hate the team, I hated Rafa. I sat there thinking 'I'm so happy for the lads, but I'm also p***ed off with the way things have played out'. If you ever played in a final or you've not played in one, you don't feel part of even if you've played your part to get it."

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Following this, Warnock had to endure yet another blow when a last-minute change meant he couldn't join in on the trophy parade back in Liverpool, leaving him no choice but to watch the celebrations on