Former England star heartbreakingly reveals he REJECTED Champions League winner’s medal as he ‘didn’t feel part’ of team

CHRIS Kirkland has revealed helium ne'er received a Champions League winners medal - contempt appearing successful Liverpool's iconic 2005 run.

The erstwhile Three Lions goalkeeper volition beryllium a impermanent of honour astatine this week's Nations League clash with Greece.

Kirkland hung up his gloves successful 2016 pursuing a adjacent two-decade career.

The 43-year-old won a azygous headdress for England successful 2006 and played for 10 clubs including Wigan, Sheffield Wednesday, and Coventry.

Kirkland moved from the Sky Blues to Liverpool successful 2001, initially arsenic an understudy to Jerzy Dudek.

He took the starting relation 3 years later, earlier being sidelined by a lingering backmost injury.

Kirkland played 4 times successful Liverpool's iconic 2004-05 Champions League campaign.

But helium was incapable to play successful the final, with Dudek getting the commencement and Scott Carson taking his spot connected the bench.

Liverpool went connected to bushed AC Milan connected penalties successful Istanbul pursuing a melodramatic fightback from 3-0 down.

Carson has since revealed helium tried to springiness Kirkland his winners medal, arsenic helium had "played much games successful the radical stages".

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He told The Guardian: "When we got the medals, I tried to springiness excavation to Chris.

"He played much games successful the radical stages than me. So I felt that helium deserved it more.

"But Chris, arsenic anyone who knows him volition say, is simply a truly bully lad and helium said: ‘No. You were connected the bench, you played your portion arsenic well.’"

Kirkland volition receive an honorary cap from the FA connected Thursday arsenic England instrumentality connected Greece.

According to The Athletic, the goalkeeper "never received the accepted headdress to commemorate his planetary debut" successful 2006.

He had besides turned down the Champions League medal due to the fact that helium "didn’t consciousness portion of it, sidelined by a backmost cognition and incapable to spot a aboriginal nether Rafael Benitez."

Kirkland's dada famously landed a 100/1 stake he'd placed portion his lad was a teen connected him playing for England.

Speaking to the outlet, Kirkland laughed: "If I’d gone into the bookies’ with my dad, and they’d seen me, I’m definite helium would person got a batch amended likelihood than 100/1.

"I was precise gangly. I wasn’t successful the champion shape."