Of all the stories of David Moores, none capture his quiet humility quite like the one just moments after Liverpool FC's finest hour.
It was in the bowels of the Ataturk Stadium, in Istanbul on May 25, 2005, when the teary-eyed chairman of the Reds sheepishly entered the riotous dressing room housing the newly-crowned champions of Europe.
Having just witnessed arguably the most stunning comeback in the competition's history, when Rafa Benitez's unfancied side had fought back from 3-0 down to a world-class AC Milan outfit to win on penalties, Moores - a man of few words to begin with - was unsurprisingly left speechless.
Liverpool had the European Cup for the fifth time and it marked the zenith of his 16 years in charge of the club he loved dearly. Having travelled with the team on away days across England for years, this was a moment of celebration he would not let pass him by. But he did so in his own trademark, understated style.
"He wasn't the most outspoken and he was a very quiet man, so I think he was just overwhelmed with emotion when he walked in the dressing room," says Didi Hamann, taking up the story of the post-match scenes of 2005. "He never said anything, he had a tear running down his cheek and I pulled him into the showers and had a smoke with him!
"He was, at first, very, very reluctant to give me a cigarette because he said what would happen if Rafa found out or saw us. So I said to him: 'You own the f****** club! Just get rid of him!'
"And then when I asked him for a cigarette, he was reluctant, but he gave me one and we had a smoke in the shower there. We never said a word, we just had a smoke and it was just the most perfect end to the night, to share that moment of peace and quiet, thinking about things with him."
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Mr Moores passed away on Friday aged 76, just weeks after his wife, Marge. Liverpool's honorary life president, unsurprisingly, had a number of legendary Anfield figures lining up to pay tribute, with Sir Kenny Dalglish leading the way, branding his former boss "a loyal Liverpool fan whose dream came true when he was appointed chairman".
For Liverpool manager Roy Evans posted on Saturday: "Extremely saddened to hear of the passing of David Moores my friend of 55 years sharing many great times both professionally and with our families. He was a great part of the history of LFC and will never be forgotten my thoughts are with his family R.I.P David."
An heir to the Littlewoods retail empire, which was founded by his uncle, Sir John Moores, who held the title of chairman at Everton during the in the 1960s and 1970s, David took over in September 1991.
During that time, he oversaw the appointments of Graeme Souness and worked alongside chief executive Rick Parry to place Evans, Gerard Houllier and Benitez into the managerial hotseat. Ten major trophies were added to the honours' list during his time at Anfield, but it was the ninth - the Champions League - that was the club's greatest night, when Hamann was permitted to sneak in the craftiest of post-match cigarettes.
"That was him 100%," Hamann tells the ECHO. "It sums the man up and that's why he was such a gentleman and why he was regarded by everyone as one of the best people there's ever been and why everyone loved him. He was so humble, so gentle and he always had an ear for people. If you had a problem you could always go to him. He would never interfere but he was always there and if you needed him, he would help."
As the game began to gradually change following the advent of the Premier League in 1992, Moores found it increasingly difficult to bankroll challenges for the game's biggest prizes. The turn of the century slowly saw an influx of wealthier owners from across the world as the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City were taken over.
Moores, a bastion of the more traditional ownership model of local businessmen who were essentially fans, took the difficult decision to sell Liverpool in early 2007 to Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The Americans' near ruinous tenure almost led the club to bankruptcy and administration but Hamann feels too much criticism was laid at Moores' door for the sale.
"It's all ifs and buts but it's all hypothetical," he adds. "I think it takes a lot of heart and courage [to sell] as well to be honest, because sometimes people may think they can compete with other clubs but he said he wasn't able to fund it and that's why he was trying to sell it, get out and stay a fan.
"It took a look of stature to do that because others might have thought they could hang on another four or five years to double their money. He wasn't like that because he always had the best interests of the club at his heart and that's why he did it.
"I saw the quotes that came out after Hicks and Gillett came and too many people blamed him for it which to my mind is just plain wrong. If he knew who these people were and that they didn't have the best interests of the club at heart then he wouldn't have sold it to them full stop.
"And that's why he shouldn't be blamed for that, which is a shame. But people have their opinions but for me he goes down as one of the best owners the Premier League and certainly Liverpool have ever seen because of the way he did it.
"That's why it's sad that his reputation was tarnished when he sold the club. I think at the time when he did sell he said he couldn't compete with Manchester United and their owners there so he had the best interests of the club at heart. I am sure if he knew what was to happen he wouldn't have sold it to those people (Hicks and Gillett)."
The memories of the Hicks and Gillett era are safely consigned to a bygone time at Anfield in 2022 as the club continues to thrive under Jurgen Klopp and Fenway Sports Group. The American owners, who replaced Hicks and Gillett in October 2010, can be thankful for Moores' stewardship during the early years of the Premier League boom, says Hamann.
Hamann says: "If you look at the history of the club and where it is now, I don't think that would have been possible had it not been for David. And also in the same breath, I've got to mention Peter Robinson and Rick Parry because they were the ones - among others, like the manager Gerard Houllier - who put the club back on the map.
"David just epitomised what the club stood for, you know; openness, warmth, loyalty. And he used to travel to the away games with us, he was one of us, we felt and it was just a special relationship.
"He was one of the last traditional owners who was a fan at heart. He never came to make money or make his life better because obviously there's a lot of pressure when you're at a club like Liverpool FC. So he was just a brilliant man; so warm, so humble and he was a big, big part of Liverpool getting back on the map by the way he led the club.
"Everyone watched him, he came on pre-season with us and we all knew the way he behaved no-one even thought about getting carried away because he was so humble. I don't think there is anyone with a bad word to say and the way he led the club was second to none. I think he loved the club more than anyone. To win these trophies and then eventually the Champions League for him and with him, it made it even more special."
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