Good News: Jerzy Dudek offers advice to Liverpool’s ‘Polish Messi’ and gives his verdict on possible successors

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek speaks to ECHO in part one of an exclusive two-part interview

Jakub Ojrzyński, Jerzy Dudek and Fabian Mrozek

If you’re in goal for Liverpool in a European Cup final you’ll be remembered as a hero or a villain, just ask Loris Karius or Jerzy Dudek.

The former was responsible for two of three goals conceded in the Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in 2018 and is now synonymous with that game for all the wrong reasons. Such is the grueling nature of the sport that Karius’ career at Anfield ended in a sobering 90-minute spell in Kyiv, with the world watching as he failed on the biggest stage of them all. It seemed impossible to go back on that performance and it proved it when Alisson Becker walked through the gates of Anfield two months later.

Dudek had a different story to the German and is best remembered for his inspiring performance in the unforgettable Istanbul comeback victory in 2005. The Pole fought back from a three-goal deficit at the break to force extra time and penalties, standing firm as his teammates tenaciously fought for their lives.

Dudek’s defining moment came in the 117th minute of the game when he parried Andriy Shevchenko with an outstanding double save that looked even more impressive with each replay. He then saved Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko from the penalty spot and secured his legendary status as Liverpool won their fifth European Cup. However, like Karius, he soon lost his starting spot after signing Pepe Reina.

Dudek’s defining moment came in the 117th minute of the game when he parried Andriy Shevchenko with an outstanding double save that looked even more impressive with each replay. He then saved Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko from the penalty spot and secured his legendary status as Liverpool won their fifth European Cup. However, like Karius, he soon lost his starting spot after signing Pepe Reina. There is no shortage of inspiration among the club’s current goalkeepers, with 20-year-old Brazilian Marcelo Pitaluga being the industry’s best at Alisson. The Reds also have three Polish goalkeepers in their squad who hope to follow in Dudek’s footsteps.

The youngest of the trio, Kornel Misciur, joined Hull City for an undisclosed fee in early March and made his debut in the 3-2 Under-16 win over Sunderland. Since then, he has trained with the first team. Fabian Mrozek (19) and Jakub Ojrzyński (20), who joined the Academy in 2020 and 2019 respectively, also want to make a name for themselves. Mrozek has been a regular under-18 starter this season, while Ojrzyński has spent the last two seasons on loan, first at Caernarfon Town and then Radomiak Radom.

Preceding this group of players was compatriot Kamil Grabara, who signed in January 2016 as part of a £250,000 deal and reclaimed the Danish Superliga with FC Copenhagen and earned a senior international cap after leaving Liverpool two years ago. Poland’s production of promising players in this position is clearly on display, a market Liverpool are keen to exploit. To determine why this is the case, who better to ask than the sole player representing this country’s Reds.

“We have good coaches and we take advantage of the big names,” admitted Dudek when asked by ECHO about Poland’s power between the sticks. “We [Wojciech Szczęsny] started and now everyone is following us and trying to win that lottery ticket. Maybe it’s a special character you need in this position.

Commenting on his impressions of his country’s players currently playing at Liverpool, he added: “I’ve heard about it and there are many more coming to England. We have a good goalkeeping school in Poland. and a strong mentality to succeed in this profession 50 goalkeepers aged 15 and over left Poland last year, which means
Everyone tries to be a Dudek or a Szczesny.

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The Reds’ other Polish wonderkid operates at the other end of the pitch, where he can often be found performing maze-like runs and showing off his attacking prowess. In fact, 19-year-old Mateusz Musialowski became known to certain sections of the fanbase after his stunning solo goal against Newcastle United in April 2021 went viral on social media. He made his unofficial first-team appearance in a friendly with Strasbourg last July, though a professional debut remains elusive.

Living up to his nickname of “Polish Messi” would be a challenge for any player. Remaining a consistent force at youth team level is a primary concern for Musialowski, who may not have developed as well as some expected upon signing in 2020.

Dudek gave his opinion on the teenager, saying: “I’ve seen some bits of him on YouTube and he’s a very talented player, very skilled. Little Messi. Let’s hope he makes it out. He has great potential but he needs to stay focused and stay away from the media. It can always be a distraction, but he has smart people around him and the club can help him too.

“It depends on the character of the person,” added the 50-year-old, dubbed the ‘Polish Messi’ by Musialowski. “Some players use this as an opportunity to grow in size and feel more comfortable with this nickname. I don’t think they will take it seriously, they will work for their own name in the future. It’s always nice when someone can say you look more like a young Messi or something, that’s a big compliment. This tells you everything about your talent.