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Robbie Fowler recalls looking out at the sea of white shirts in front of him and hearing a familiar chant.

It was the “surreal” night when the Liverpool legend found himself right in the thick of Real Madrid’s La Liga title celebrations.

What started as a trip to the Bernabeu with his cousin Paul to visit Steve McManaman in June 2003, ended with them standing alongside the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Luis Figo and Ronaldo on Real’s open-top bus as the triumphant parade reached the city’s famous Cybele fountain.

Real had gone into their final match against Athletic Bilbao needing victory to secure the title and they duly delivered as Ronaldo scored twice and Roberto Carlos got the other in a 3-1 win.

“It was absolutely mental to be honest,” Fowler said.

“Steve McManaman is a massive mate of mine but with my playing commitments I hadn’t been able to visit him. I was on holiday in Portugal with a family member at that time so we made plans to go over there.

“Madrid ended up winning but the night was much more memorable than the game. I was in the lounge afterwards when Macca walks in with two Real Madrid T-shirts and says to us: ‘Put them on, you’re coming on the bus.’

“So Real Madrid are celebrating and doing their tour of the city on their bus with hundreds of thousands fans lining the streets and there’s myself and my cousin – two little scallywags from Toxteth - with them going up to the fountain in the middle of Madrid. The atmosphere was amazing. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Fowler, who was on Manchester City’s books at the time, was trying to keep a low profile but his hopes of staying in the background were dashed.

“I think the Real lads knew who I was but my cousin got a few dodgy looks! It was fantastic,” he added.

“When they got to the fountain, the players got off and did a little tour around it. I was asked to go and do that with them but I stopped short of that.

“I think that would have been too much. One of my abiding memories was being on the bus and for as far as you could see there were Real Madrid supporters.

“When the bus stopped, I was cowered down a little bit as I was bit embarrassed about being there. But there were about 20 English lads who spotted me and started singing my name.

“Real Madrid have just won the league, their players are around the fountain, celebrating the title, and you can hear these lads chanting ‘Fowler, Fowler’. It was a great night. It was surreal actually.”

Fowler will be part of the Liverpool Legends team lining up against Real Madrid Legends at a sold-out Anfield on Saturday. The match will raise finds for the Liverpool FC Foundation.

It’s a re-match following Real’s 4-2 triumph when the sides at the Bernabeu in front of a 70,000-strong crowd in June 2015.

Fowler added: “The chance to put on the shirt again is fantastic. I’m not sure you’ll be getting the full press that Jurgen Klopp demands but we can’t wait to get going.”