FOOTBALL is full of unlikely heroes and goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek's match winning performance in the Worthington Cup Final brought another fallen star into the limelight writes Richard Mulligan

Dudek has only just returned to the Liverpool first team because of an injury to Chris Kirkland, but at the weekend played a crucial role in a famous day in the Merseyside club's history.

Not only did they add extra silverware to the already crammed Anfield trophy room, they qualified for the UEFA Cup, and perhaps more importantly than anything else for the Kop faithful, they beat Manchester United in the Cardiff final.

The goals might have come from England superstars Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen, but it was the Pole who made the difference according to disappointed United boss Alex Ferguson.

"Their goalkeeper has won them the game," said Ferguson. "Sometimes you just have to put your hands up on these occasions. Dudek has won them the cup. He deserved to be man of the match."

Likewise, Dudek's own boss Gerard Houllier was full of praise for the man who is perhaps still only Liverpool's temporary number one and will face Wanderers on Saturday.

The Frenchman felt it was fate that the 29-year-old would produce a performance to help banish memories of the mistakes against United earlier in the season which led to him being dropped at the expense of Kirkland.

Houllier said: "I told Jerzy three days before the game 'I can feel you will be the hero. You were too unlucky when we played them'.

"Football can be like that. Sometimes you can be at the bottom and then be a hero again. I'm a great believer that when you have the right attitude everything else follows."

Dudek has certainly had to show character now he has returned to the first team fold after a nightmare run of games late in 2002.

He first came to attention in this country when Arsenal tried to sign him in the summer of 2001, but he signed for Liverpool in a £4.8 million deal from Feyenoord in August of that year, with Kirkland joining from Coventry on the same day.

The spotlight was tough for the son of a Polish miner, and he initially found the prospect of lining up alongside the likes of Owen, Gerrard and Robbie Fowler a daunting one.

However, despite his ropey English, he certainly made himself understood as he inspired Liverpool to finish second in the Premiership with the country's tightest defence.

He said: "I thought it would be difficult to play in a team with so many stars. But I soon realised they are normal people, pleasant and friendly, and that has helped me a lot.

"I grew up in Knurow, a little mining town. I felt very much at home in Rotterdam, where people are used to working hard, and now I think the same about Liverpool."

This season started off just as well as Liverpool headed the table and were unbeaten in the Premiership until a trip to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough in early November. Dudek was having another good afternoon as he contained the threat of Alen Boksic on a number of occasions, but disaster struck with nine minutes to go.

A corner flew into the Liverpool area and Dudek charged out to collect it. However, he banged into Boksic and spilled the ball into the path of Gareth Southgate who slotted home.

Liverpool lost and have not really recovered their Premiership form since as they embarked on an embarassing run of 10 league games without a win.

Dudek was eventually dropped following an absolute nightmare game with Manchester United in December when he gifted a goal to Diego Forlan after allowing a Jamie Carragher header to slip through his fingers.

Kirkland could not reverse Liverpool's fortunes but kept his place until the end of January when he suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury which will keep him out until the summer.

Although disappointed for his young rival, Dudek has done his best to prove he can again be the Anfield number one, and has kept five clean sheets in nine games.

Dudek has regained his confidence and now feels he can go from strenth to strength, which is bad news for the Wanderers strike force.

"I'm going to get better, I feel my problems helped me to grow and I've come through better at the other end. We need to finish as high as we can in the league."