Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has received support over his team selection controversy from WWE superstar Sheamus!
The Dublin-born brawler was impressed by how Liverpool's starting line-up - missing skipper Steven Gerrard, vice captain Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling, as well as £20m summer signing Dejan Lovren ? performed with courage and nearly produced a result at Real Madrid.
"I thought the seven players who came in, there's great potential there," said the former WWE and World champ, currently back over this side of the pond for the sports entertainment giant's 15-show tour of the UK and Ireland.
"At the beginning they were all over the place and then Real got that goal and it looked like it could've been a lot worse. But they got together and pressed against Madrid at the Bernabeu!
"I read a couple of things on Twitter from Gary Lineker and people like that asking how some of the guys could be left out of the line up, but it takes a lot of balls to make a decision like that and play a team like that."
