Want to know what it's like for a dream to become a living nightmare? Just ask Wout Faes.
Back in 2019, the Leicester City centre-back was playing in his native Belgium with Oostende when he was asked to name his favourite team.
“I've been a real supporter of Liverpool since I was a child,” he said. “I've been a few times and when you go to Anfield, it gives you goosebumps.”
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That, though, is undoubtedly not what Faes was feeling during a comic seven-minute period approaching half-time when he netted twice on his first appearance at the fabled stadium. Unfortunately for him, it was into the wrong net, his calamitous intervention turning the game in favour of his boyhood club and unintentionally giving Liverpool a much-needed boost in the race for Champions League qualification.
It was bad enough when, in the 38th minute, Faes ignored the calls of goalkeeper Danny Ward – formerly of Liverpool – to leave a teasing Trent Alexander-Arnold cross and looped a mishit clearance high into the air and in off the far post.
But the gloom deepened further when, incredibly, the Leicester defender then inexplicably belted the ball into his own net after Darwin Nunez’s dinked shot over Ward had bounced back to him after striking the inside of the woodwork.
Anfield rejoiced in a mixture of delight, relief and sheer disbelief. Faes, meanwhile, was given inevitable grief from the Kop for the remainder of the match, reliant on Ward to bail him out again late on after being spooked sufficiently to gift possession to Liverpool in a dangerous position.
Having gone behind early on to an equally-avoidable strike from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Liverpool were huffing and puffing before Faes twice put his foot in it. But after a dreadful opening half-hour – arguably their worst spell of the season, worse than even Fulham and Napoli – Jurgen Klopp’s side showed, as at Villa Park on Boxing Day, they were willing to roll up their sleeves and dig in. That character will be needed in the New Year.
“How s** must you be, we scored both your goals,” chanted the Leicester fans during the closing stages.
They all count, however. And doesn’t Faes know it. After such a tortuous first part to the season, this was an evening when fortune saw fit to favour Liverpool.
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