A goalkeeper once touted as the best in the world for his age group by former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is today hoping to seal Wembley glory.
Australian Dean Bouzanis was just 16 when he made a potentially career-changing move to Anfield from the other side of the world. Benitez had liked what he had seen after the Aussie impressed for his country's under-17s side before duly catching the eye during a trial at Melwood.
“I remember getting moved up to the first team and getting my first-team squad number and seeing that up on the wall. Little things like that I’ll never forget," Bouzanis says, as he reflects on that period. "At the start it is very nerve-racking and a bit of a dive into the deep end. But at the same time you’re a professional and have to put that to one side to try and make a career for yourself, because you’re still a young boy. Before you know it they become teammates and friends."
