Reds: Underdogs of war

"There is a big belief in the changing room and as we have gone further in the competition our confidence has grown," explains the Kop legend.

Gerrard was strongly tipped for a summer move away from Liverpool but decided to stay due to his love of the Merseyside club and his desire to win silverware.

Few would have predicted that the only trophy up-for-grabs for the Premiership club at this stage of the season would have been the prestigious Champions League chalice, but all astonishment has turned to the positive belief echoed in the words of Gerrard.

"We are confident that we are going to win and all the fans are confident as well," the bullish midfielder continues.

It is precisely Liverpool's status as supposed European minnows that has worked in their favour.

"Being underdogs suits us, we were underdogs in the quarter-final [verses Juventus] and semi-final [verses Chelsea] and underdogs at the start of the competition so it will be no different in the final."

"We'll be up for it and ready for AC Milan," he assures the clubs supporters.

While talking to Eurosport, Gerrard sat back and recalled the turning point of Liverpool's European campaign, when 1-0 down at half-time to Olympiakos in the group stage, the Reds were on the verge of dropping out of the competition.

With veteran Brazilian, and former World Player of the Year, netting a free-kick on 27 minutes for the Greek side, Liverpool had it all to do.

"I think after the Olympiakos goal at half-time we thought we were dead and buried," smiles Gerrard. "We had to score three goals in one half and everyone's morale was low."

But score three they did, thanks to captain-marvel himself, and two decisive substitutions which had instantaneous effects on the result.

"We made two substitutions," recalls Gerrard, "Neil Mellor and Florent Sinama-Pongolle came on and changed the game."

Within a minute of the restart, Harry Kewell raced to the byline and crossed for the young Frenchman to equalise from close range. Mellor then came on to replace Milan Baros with 13 minutes to spare, and the homegrown forward pounced on Antonio Nunez's parried header to put the Reds ahead.

Two goals was not enough, and it took a Gerrard thunderbolt in the dying seconds to complete a dramatic Liverpool comeback and sent them through to the last sixteen at Olympiakos' expense.

This was the turning point to the club's season, according to Gerrard.

"At the final whistle, when we beat Olympiakos, I think from then onwards we started to believe we could go all the way. We thought that this could be our year."

It remains to be seen just down deep the belief that Gerrard holds for his club runs. Regardless of Wednesday's result, Liverpool will not be playing on Europe's centre-stage next season, a fact which could send Gerrard packing.

Win and sign-off in style, or lose and leave in disillusion, Gerrard's future has been the topic of much discussion.

But for the time being, you can bet that Gerrard is only thinking about becoming the first Liverpool captain since Emlyn Hughes in 1984 to lift the European Cup.

It is an opportunity he, and his fellow players, must seize, as emphasises manager Rafa Benitez.

"Maybe this is the most important game I have been involved in," the Spaniard told Eurosport, "because the UEFA Cup and League Championship [which he won with Valencia] is different.

"To reach the final in my first year in a different country is very important for me and the club. It is one of the things I say to the players, how many times will you get to play in a final like this?

"For some of them maybe never. We have one opportunity and we need to our job."

Next year, there will be no opportunity. It will be a test of patience for the likes of Gerrard, one of Europe's most coveted players. With that in mind, winning the Champions League is, in all likelihood, truly now or never for the England midfielder in a Liverpool shirt.