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Jerzy Dudek winces as the question begins. He knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any less painful.

“What's it like to make a mistake when you're in goal for Liverpool?”

It's been more than 13 years since that day, December 2002, when Dudek's errors gifted Diego Forlan his place in Manchester United folklore.

The Pole's Anfield career recovered, of course, but there was a time when it felt like the world was against him. Put another way, he knows how Simon Mignolet must feel sometimes.

He knows how Mignolet must feel today.

“The expectation is always very high when you play for Liverpool,” Dudek tells the ECHO, albeit prior to yesterday's game against Sunderland. “When you win, you don't see the goalkeeper, and when you lose you do!

“The pressure is even greater when you don't get results, and right now Liverpool are not getting results. And so every single mistake, even a small one, is a big mistake, a big deal.

“I've been there. I've had the criticism, the stories in the press and the pressure from the stands. Even when we won the Champions League in 2005, all through that season I had people telling me (Rafa) Benitez was going to buy a new goalkeeper and that I wasn't needed. It wasn't easy.

In pictures: The miracle of Istanbul

“In 2002, I was very tired after the World Cup and I knew this. But I was very ambitious too, and so I felt I couldn't tell anybody. I felt the pressure from Chris Kirkland and so I kept it to myself. But I paid a big price.

“We lost the game against Manchester United, and I made the mistakes. I remember the moment where I was lying on the floor and Forlan had scored, I said to myself 'okay, that is inexplicable, but now I think I will get the rest that I deserve!'

“On the Sunday after the game, the boss asked me to come to his office. I said to him: 'Boss, leave me alone please. I know I made a mistake, you don't have to tell me.'

“Gerard Houllier said: 'Jerzy, I know that you need some free time to recover mentally and physically, but I need you to play in the next game!' I couldn't believe it! I just needed to go away and get my head right, but the boss wanted me to play against Ipswich in the League Cup.”

Liverpool won that game on penalties but Dudek would, as predicted, lose his place to Kirkland.

By March, though, he was back and turning in a man of the match display as the Reds won the League Cup in Cardiff against, who else, Manchester United.

“That's the life of the goalkeeper!” Dudek grins. “The only way to come through the bad times is through good performances.

“I had a tough time that season, but I learned a lot from it. I was stronger after it, and I certainly knew who my friends and enemies were! From mistakes, you learn more than you do from the winning and the good times.”

Dudek on Mignolet...

It does not take a huge leap of imagination to picture Mignolet doing something similar this season.

Like Dudek, the Belgian has come under fire from media and supporters alike. But he was the hero of the Reds' League Cup semi final win over Stoke, and remains Jurgen Klopp's undisputed No.1. He'll be in goal against Manchester City Wembley later this month, and will play a key role in their hunt for glory in the Europa League and FA Cup too.

Speaking on Friday, he said: “Sometimes, I don't understand the criticism of Simon. Liverpool were conceding lots of goals even under Brendan Rodgers. The problem is not a new one.

“Of course when you see a goalkeeper conceding goals every weekend, it's not good. But I don't blame only him.

“It is not easy to play behind a defence that is often changing, and a defence that doesn't have confidence itself.

“When I played I had people like Stephane Henchoz, Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher in front of me, and that really helped me. The understanding was there, and that makes a big difference, both for me and for them. Simon, for a number of reasons, hasn't had that understanding. I do think we lack those kind of characters in our defence.”

Dudek disagrees with the idea that one of Mignolet's problems is a lack of genuine competition. Neither Brad Jones nor Adam Bogdan have been able to challenge for the No.1 jersey, while Danny Ward is yet to make his Reds debut.

Dudek says: “Of course you have to understand that you cannot play every game, and that you need good back-up in the squad.

“But from my point of view, having two 'top' goalkeepers is not always ideal. I signed on the same day as Chris, which was unusual. We were two national level goalkeepers; I was 26 and Chris was younger.

“The first year was OK, because I didn't feel the pressure. But from my experience, it is better to have a No.1, who can maybe lose one game but win 10.

“When you have competition, you maybe start to play defensively. You start to think about your mistakes, about not taking risks because you are worried about making a mistake or losing your place.

“Maybe you don't come off your line as much, or you don't pass the ball to the full back because it is too risky. And if you start to think like this, you are not playing your natural game and you are not helping your team. At the end of the day, that's a goalkeeper's job – to help the team.

“We had the same problem with Poland in Euro 2012. The coach didn’t know which one to pick. And while none of them made mistakes, none of them went and won games for the team either, because they were all looking over their shoulders.

“You have to make a decision. Pick your No.1 and be clear on who that is. It’s for the good of the team.”

Mignolet, whether fans agree or not, is that No.1 as far as Klopp and Liverpool are concerned. The German's support could not have been stronger. It has meant plenty to the player.

Now, Dudek hopes that we will see Mignolet secure his own place in Anfield history.

“Like I say, this is the best way to shut the critics up, by playing well,” he says. “Let’s hope that he too can be the man of the match in the League Cup final! That would be a great story for him.”

Dudek on why cup glory can be a springboard for Klopp's Reds...

Bread and butter. That’s what they used to call the league campaign at Liverpool. Take care of that, and worry about the rest later.

But while ending the club’s 26-year wait for a title remains THE dream at Anfield, increasingly it looks like this season will be defined by what the Reds do in the cups. Tuesday’s FA Cup replay at West Ham, for example, looks more significant a game than next Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa. Liverpool also have a League Cup final to look forward to, as well as a Europa League last-32 tie with Augsburg to come later this month.

Dudek understands this. But while his best Merseyside memories came in big finals – the 2003 League Cup and, of course, the 2005 Champions League – he is against the idea of giving up on the Premier League – for now at least.

He said: “It’s very difficult to get the balance right. In the museum, we have trophies, and that is what you will show to your kids in years to come.

“But for the club it is so important to get into the top four. You get the Champions League money, you have the prestige and the attention, the TV rights, and that makes a massive difference.

“Of course it is good to fight for trophies and to be competitive in the league, but you cannot underestimate the importance of the top four.

“When players are moving clubs in the summer, they look to see if you are in the Champions League or not, trust me! Champions League is attractive, Europa League is not. Liverpool belongs to the Champions League.

“It’s too early to decide now (to focus only on the cups). It would be nice to get a trophy at the end of the season, but it would be even better to get into the top four, even if that is starting to look more difficult with every week. I want to see Liverpool trying to win in every competition, and I’m sure the supporters are the same!”

Dudek on his new sporting career...

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With his Istanbul heroics, he was responsible for perhaps the biggest adrenaline rush in Liverpool’s recent history.

But Jerzy Dudek gets his kicks in a different way these days. Racing cars.

For the past two years, the former Reds ‘keeper has been part of Poland’s Volkswagen Golf Cup, which pits drivers from all over the world against each other. Two weeks ago, Dudek took part in his first ever 24-hour endurance rate, in Dubai.

“I have always been passionate about motor sport,” he tells the ECHO. “But of course when you play football you cannot do these kind of things.

“But in 2011 when I became an ambassador for Castrol, they opened up this new project in Poland, and in 2013 they asked me to be a guest driver. I did OK, so the following year I decided to take part in the full season.

“It has engaged me. It’s competitive, and that’s what you want.

“I started playing golf when I left Liverpool and went to Madrid. It’s competitive, even when I play with friends, but what is missing is the adrenaline. And when you sit in the car, the adrenaline is so high – much higher than in football. It has engaged me a lot!”

Having finished third in Dubai - “We spent three hours fixing the car in the garage,” - Dudek hopes to take part in another 24-hour race at Silverstone in April, and follow that up with another in Barcelona.

It’s a gruelling experience, driving for a day solid, but the 42-year-old knows that, at the very least, he will be able to count on something few other drivers have - football support!

He explains: “It gives me a lot of joy to race. I have my own supporters, they have come from football to motor sport – Liverpool fans and also supporters from Holland as well!

“I was surprised in Dubai, when I looked around the track, there were a lot of scarves that I recognised! It gave me a great feeling.”