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'I'll punch him in the face' - Dudek reveals moment he almost HIT Rafa Benitez

  /  autty

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek has recalled the moment he almost punched his then boss Rafa Benitez in the face.

Dudek, who helped Benitez win the Champions League in 2005, said he came close to punching his manager the following season after he signed Pepe Reina as his new first-choice goalkeeper.

Having lost the No 1 spot at Anfield, Dudek was informed of interest from Bundesliga club Cologne but became even more frustrated when the deal was stalled.

'Pepe was a great guy, but Rafa had signed a new goalkeeper at a moment when I felt like I was at the peak of my career,' Dudek told FourFourTwo. 'I told Rafa that the World Cup was on the horizon and I needed to be playing football.

'Cologne were interested, but a few days before the window closed, they called and said: "Why is Rafa not even talking to us?" I was surprised – I thought everything had been agreed.

'The next day, I stormed up to him after training. He said: "They only offered a loan deal, and you're too important for us. They want to give us £800,000, but what if Reina gets an injury? I can't put £800,000 in a suitcase and put it between the goalposts."

'Then I had this crazy thought – I think I'll just punch him in the face. This evil whisper in my head was telling me that if I hit Rafa, they'd let me go to Cologne.

'Looking back today, I appreciate even more that I played for a club with the history of Liverpool. Last year, I went to Madrid with my son and watched Liverpool win the Champions League again.

'As a player, I never understood why supporters cried after big wins – but when I saw the players running around with the cup in their hands, I had tears in my eyes.'

Dudek became a Liverpool hero during the Reds' historic comeback to beat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final.

Dudek was the star of the show in the eventual penalty shoot-out - with his wobbling legs to try to put off Milan's penalty takers becoming the stuff of legend - but he is also remembered for an astonishing double save from Andriy Shevchenko that kept his side in the game during extra-time.

The former Poland goalkeeper retired from football in 2011, after making his final appearance for Real Madrid.