Friday 30 March 2018 20:41, UK
Almost 12 years on, Steven Gerrard's FA Cup final equaliser in 2006 which cost West Ham the trophy still haunts the Hammers captain from that day, Nigel Reo-Coker.
The former West Ham midfielder told the Soccer AM podcast he still pictures Gerrard's 30-yard stunner, which pulled Liverpool back level in injury time before they wrapped up their seventh FA Cup trophy on penalties.
Reo-Coker's Hammers had been the better side for much of the game at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, but having been pulled out of position when Gerrard stepped up to smash the ball beyond Shaka Hislop, the dream of lifting the trophy a day shy of his 22nd birthday was suddenly shattered.
He told the Soccer AM podcast: "It still plays on my mind now, in slow motion. I can't lie, I was thinking about lifting the cup - with a couple of minutes to go when you're winning, you're thinking: 'I could be lifting the cup soon' - but then that goes in.
"We were massively unlucky. Every time someone brings it up, I still remember going to close Gerrard down. I got sucked out of position, the ball went to him and when he hit it, I remember seeing the flight of the ball so smoothly and curl into the goal.
"I looked at the time straight after and just thought 'Oooohhh'. But even to this day, I think it's one of the best and most entertaining FA Cup finals. It was one of the true magic FA Cup finals. For both sets of fans and the neutral."
Listen to the Soccer AM podcast where Reo-Coker also discusses throwing players in the river at Wimbledon, meeting Puff Daddy at a David Beckham party and why three nights out a week saved West Ham by clicking here.
