Jamie Carragher's wife was 'embarrassed' after Liverpool icon's big moment

Jamie Carragher is one of the most recognizable faces in British soccer, but his wife Nicola has suffered with the limelight that came with being married to the Liverpool legend after the club's 2005 Champions League win

Jamie Carragher has raised two children with his wife, Nicola(Image: Getty Images)

The wife of Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has revealed she felt "embarrassed" as the Reds icon's profile soared following the club's iconic Champions League triumph in May 2005, as she struggled to cope with the heightened attention it brought to their lives.

Liverpool produced one of soccer's greatest comebacks, overturning a 3-0 deficit against an AC Milan side packed with world-class talent to claim victory on penalties.

Under the stewardship of Rafael Benitez, the Anfield club secured its fifth European Cup against Carlo Ancelotti's star-studded outfit. Carragher's wife, Nicola, spoke to The Times about how her husband's newfound celebrity status following the victory meant the couple, along with their children James and Mia, were constantly in the public eye wherever they ventured.

"When the kids were little, Liverpool won the Champions League, and James was made player of the year. He was a very recognizable face, and that did affect me a bit," she admitted.

"If we were out in public, I was always worried that people were looking at us. I felt shy, embarrassed. I remember being in a restaurant, and he was messing about with the kids, pulling faces, hiding under the table, making a right fool of himself."

Despite any unwanted media scrutiny, Nicola insisted that the Sky Sports pundit's foremost priority has always remained his family. She added: "As long as the kids were happy, he didn't care what anybody thought."

Jamie and Nicola have been together for almost 30 years(Image: Instagram/23_carra)

She added: "What I can tell you is he is without doubt the best dad in the world. Yes, there have been times when he has done things he regrets, but so have I. If the world focused on every stupid thing that you did or I did, we'd be in trouble."

The match, famously known as the miracle of Istanbul, proved to be a defining moment for numerous Liverpool players.

While many celebrated the 2001 treble-winning campaign, which saw Liverpool claim the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup, securing the Champions League propelled figures like Carragher into unprecedented levels of fame.

In a 2020 interview with The Mirror, Carragher reflected on how Liverpool's fifth European Cup victory transformed his life.

"It's funny how those great European triumphs are known by the city where they took place. As a kid, for me it was Rotterdam, with Everton. Rome '77. [Manchester] United have Barcelona... Not 'the Bayern game,' but ­Barcelona," he explained.

"Istanbul, though. It's somehow even more powerful. It's our city and our club. Just the word makes you feel lucky to have been part of it. An honor and a ­privilege.

"It's the one moment in my career I'd love to go back to. That moment of realization, and then release. I ran towards Jerzy [Ex-Liverpool goalkeeper, Dudek] and was the first one there. But there was no way I could stop and hug someone. I needed to keep running, jumping, ­shouting, screaming.

"I couldn't have bottled that up. It was just an energy rush that had to come out. I carried on around the track, couldn't have stood still with the players, had to get involved in the crowd. It's just a pity I didn't get that energy in the first half."