Where are the members of Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League winning side now?

The story of Liverpool’s dramatic comeback to defeat AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final is one that is certain to go down in folklore.

A tale of determination, commitment and passion; no matter who you support, you will have heard of the incredible display of self-belief as the Reds came from behind to win on penalties – their first European championship title for 21 years.

The Merseysiders had beaten the elite of Europe in order to reach Istanbul; defeats of Chelsea and Juventus preceded the trip to Turkey as Liverpool overcame the odds to reach the final, let alone return home as Champions.

So, seven years after the memorable European night, what are the Liverpool heroes of that infamous game now doing?

Manager: Rafa Benitez

The Spaniard was appointed as Manager at Anfield with high expectations of developing a successful side in England. Benitez moved to England having won the Spanish La Liga twice with his former employers Valencia as well as a League and UEFA Cup double in 2003-04. It was expected that the 58-year-old would go on to guide a side capable of challenging for success domestically and in Europe.

Liverpool suffered a stuttering start to their Premier League campaign and the absence of key personnel meant that the Reds rarely threatened Chelsea and Arsenal at the peak of the table. The Merseysiders eventually finished in fifth.

However, their form in the European Cup contrasted their form in the League as they battled against the odds to reach the final. In the season after their European achievement, Benitez became the Chief Architect as his signings boosted the Club’s domestic form, finishing third by just one point.

The Reds also won the FA Cup – again coming from behind in extra-time to win on penalties – against West Ham United. Aside from the odd secondary domestic trophy, Benitez rarely achieved in England with Liverpool. The Reds favoured campaigns in the FA Cup and League Cup but were unable to mount a title challenge and eventually Benitez departed the Club in June 2010.

After leaving Anfield, he took posts at Inter Miland, Chelsea and Real Madrid, achieving success at varying levels across all three clubs.

Two months after departing the Bernabeu, Benitez was appointed as manager of relegation threatened Newcastle United. The Spaniard could not save the Magpies from relegation to the second tier; however, he remained as manager and the following season he led them to the Sky Bet Championship title. During his time at Newcastle, Benitez has won 52 of his 118 manages, a win percentage of 44%.

Jerzy Dudek

Next up is the man who ultimately won Liverpool the Champions League Final, Jerzy Dudek. The former Concordia Knurow goalkeeper made the move to Merseyside under then-coach Gerard Houllier. The Pole immediately made his presence known as he became the first choice shot-stopper during his first term in England.

Dudek continued to impress under Benitez and was a catalyst in the Reds’ run to the Champions League final. At the end of extra time in the final, Dudek performed a double save against Milan before going on to save from Andrea Pirlo and Andriy Shevchenko in the subsequent penalty shootout.

Despite performing consistently for the English outfit, Dudek lost his starting position to new signing in 2005-06 following an arm injury – going on to make just 12 more appearances for the Reds in the following two seasons. Having not been selected for Poland’s World Cup squad, Dudek stated that he wanted to leave but was persuaded to stay for another year at the manager’s request.

Then 34-year-old Dudek moved to Real Madrid for 2007-08 but only played in two La Liga games due to his role as a back-up ‘keeper to Iker Casillas. His final appearance for the Merengues came on 21 May 2011 in an 8-1 home win over UD Almeria, during which he was substituted in the 77th minute to a guard of honour from his teammates.

After leaving Real Madrid, Dudek played a crucial role in achieving the status of joint host nation for the 2012 European Championships for his home country. Dudek came out of retirement for Poland in 2013, featuring in a game against Liechtenstein.

More recently, however, Dudek completed his first full season in the Volkswagen Castrol Cup in 2014 – a racing championship held around Eastern Europe.

Steve Finnan

Finnan established himself as the number one right back for the 2004-05 season, scoring his first and only goal for the Reds against West Brom in the League Cup Final. The Irishman started for Liverpool in Istanbul but a thigh injury meant he was substituted at half-time with the English side 3-0 down to AC Milan.

The 42-year-old regularly played for the Reds during the 05/06 and 06/07 seasons despite competition from Alvaro Arbeloa.

Finnan made a guest appearance in Jamie Carragher’s testimonial match in September 2010 and departed Anfield for Espanyol. However, injuries limited his first team appearances and in July 2009 Espanyol mutually terminated the remainder of Finnan’s contract. Finnan then signed a one-year contract with Portsmouth but, after the Club were relegated to the Championship and put in administration, he was not offered a new deal.

Since leaving football, Finnan has committed his time to helping others. He spent the majority of the early 2010s in Gambia providing irrigation for impoverished children; however, in 2015 Finnan was living in London and working in property development.

Jamie Carragher

Quite easily one of Liverpool’s greatest players, Jamie Carragher continued to play for his hometown club until his retirement at the end of the 2012/13 season, amassing over 700 appearances for the Reds.

He stayed at Liverpool for a further eight seasons, adding another FA Cup title to his name in 2006 and a third League Cup in 2012.

In 2009, Carragher set up the 23 Foundation in order to help the youth of Merseyside. He donated all the proceeds from his testimonial year to the charity, creating an initial fund of £1m.

Since his retirement, Carragher has become a respected pundit for Sky Sports, most commonly featuring on the Monday Night Football programme alongside Gary Neville.