Reina admires the Reds

Last updated : 03 June 2005 By Al Campbell
Spanish international goalkeeper Reina has played in front of the Kop twice before, in Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Barcelona in 2001 and the 3-1 defeat the following season and has a lot of respect for Liverpool and its fans.

"Liverpool have always stood out for me because of their history. Manchester United had their time and now Chelsea are in fashion, but the club that had the biggest influence on me is Liverpool." he said.

"I played against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup and we lost 1-0. Later we beat them in the Champions League 3-1. That game was spectacular because the fans applauded our goals and left a big impression on me."

Reina has also praised the man he is rumoured to be replacing, European Cup hero Jerzy Dudek: "The Champions League Final was out of this world. I think every Spaniard wanted Liverpool to win and we all had a very nervous night. Dudek was one of the final's outstanding performers and deserves all the credit, not just because of the penalties, but for the saves he made from Shevchenko. I've never done any of the jumping around Dudek did on the line but it worked didn't it?"