Remembering Liverpool's UEFA Cup winning team of 2001

Liverpool have reached five Champions League finals in the last 19 years, winning two of them.

But the Reds also have an illustrious past in Europe's second competition.

As they aim to add to that history in the first leg of the Europa League last-16 tie against Sparta Prague tonight, we decided it is time to go back in time to 2001.

Gerard Houllier's iconic Reds side won a knockout competition Treble that year, completing their haul by beating Alaves 5-4 on the Golden Goal rule in a dramatic UEFA Cup final in Dortmund.

This the famous squad who pulled off that feat.

Goalkeeper

Dutch keeper Sander Westerveld was in goal for Liverpool shortly before an ignominious exit from the club.

Just four months after featuring in the Treble win, a mistake at Bolton saw Gerard Houllier take action, never fielding him again and buying Jerzy Dudek as a replacement.

Pegguy Arphexad was the substitute stopper.

Defence

Centre-backs Stephane Henchoz and Sami Hyypia were a consistent pairing, with the latter 21st on the club's list of all-time appearance-makers.

Their partnership meant a young Jamie Carragher played at left-back in Dortmund, while Markus Babbel was a goalscoring right-back.

Gregory Vignal and Stephen Wright were on the bench.

Midfield

A combination of local legends and nostalgic names, Houllier's midfield in this final is Liverpool heritage.

Steven Gerrard is the name that pops off the page and this was the campaign in which he established himself as a force at the heart of his boyhood side.

Gerrard scored the Reds' second goal but it was the performance of Gary McAllister that is the most synonymous with the game.

The Scottish international signed on a free transfer in 2000 and played a part in their League Cup and FA Cup successes, as well as scoring a 44-yard free-kick to dramatically win the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

And after scoring once and assisting three — including the all-important own goal winner — in this final, he is remembered fondly by Liverpool supporters.

Dietmar Hamann and Danny Murphy were also in Houllier's engine room, with all four playing every minute of the contest.

Vladimir Smicer and Patrik Berger did come on in place of different starters, while Nicky Barmby was an unused substitute.

Attack

Emile Heskey started in Liverpool's attack in his first season since signing from Leicester.

But this entire campaign was all about Heskey's partner Michael Owen.

The striker, still such an exciting prospect having just turned 21, had already won his side the FA Cup final four days prior to this Alaves showdown, scoring twice in the last seven minutes to engineer a 2-1 comeback win over Arsenal in Cardiff.

Though he did not net here, he did set up Gerrard's goal and won the spot-kick that McAllister converted.

And his efforts won him the Ballon d'Or 2001 — the last Englishman to land the prize.

Robbie Fowler was also in the mix under Houllier and did find the net after replacing Heskey in the second half.

But for all of the Reds' firepower, it was Alaves' Delfi Geli converting a Golden Goal into his own net that sent Houllier and his side home with the UEFA Cup.