Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has revealed that failing to consolidate on the brilliant UEFA Champions League victory in 2005 is his biggest career regret.

Liverpool claimed a sensational comeback victory over AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul over a decade ago and the triumph is considered as one of the greatest ever European victories.

Since the memorable night in Istanbul, paid with the 2001 UEFA Cup win over Alaves in Dortmund, Liverpool have managed to claim only two trophies and now former Reds skipper Gerrard has gone on to admit that not being able to guide his beloved team to more success after the European glory is his biggest career regret.

The LA Galaxy midfielder told The Telegraph: "Those European wins are among the highlights of my career, but they are also tinged with a bit of regret.

"In both 2001 and 2005 I came off the pitch saying they would be the catalysts for a new era of success for the club. We were given the perfect platform from which to go on and we never took it, especially after Istanbul.

"If you'd have told me when I was on the open top bus tour holding our fifth European Cup that in the next eleven years Liverpool would only win the FA Cup and League Cup I would not have believed it.

"I'm not writing off everything that has happened since. We came very close to winning far more than we did, losing finals, semi-finals and going very close to the Premier League title under Rafa Benitez and Brendan Rodgers.

"You look at the teams we were competing against and they were bloody good, assembled with massive wealth. For a long time after 2005 we re-established our name in Europe, reaching number one in the UEFA rankings.

"There were great times, great performances, and Liverpool have always been there or thereabouts when it comes to major honours but there's no getting away from the fact we did not win as much as we hoped or expected in the aftermath of Dortmund in 2001 and Istanbul in 2005."