Liverpool entered into another midweek of Champions League action, with former star Dirk Kuyt featuring in the opposition dugout for Fenerbahce as interim coach

Dirk Kuyt has revealed that he used Liverpool's heroics in the 2005 Champions League final as inspiration for his Fenerbahce team when they welcomed the Reds to Istanbul on Wednesday.

Andoni Iraola's side travelled to Turkiye for the fourth clash of the league phase with a 100 per cent record in the European competition, having beaten the likes of Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, and LASK in the opening few weeks.

The Spaniard looked ahead to the match with Fenerbahce knowing that another win would move the team just one step closer towards a top-eight finish in the table, and the chance to do that was up against an opposition side that has been in flux.

With a difficult start to the campaign, the Turkish Super Lig side has already lost its manager, while the backroom team has also been changed in recent weeks. That leaves former Liverpool striker Kuyt as the interim coach, looking to get one over his old club while getting his current employers back on track.

It's hardly an easy introduction into the Champions League as the coach, but the 46-year-old has been hoping that the spirit of Istanbul can be channeled to help his team over the line.

Kuyt, who joined the year after Liverpool's famous Champions League final comeback against AC Milan, has been using the story to help inspire his players before the match.

Speaking to TNT Sports about having to pick his players back up after recent difficulties, he said: "Of course when you work very intensively for four months together with a head coach and also with his staff, it's never easy when the coach is resigning and there are changes.

"So you always look for stability but the main thing is to be united together, to keep working hard and to stay tight together. And also I said to the team tonight, it is not easy you know, we lost the derby, I think we lost it really unfortunately last weekend, but I'm telling the story about Liverpool.

"They have some pretty good memories from Istanbul and if you believe in yourself, and you go for it, you never know when the magic is in the air and if we have that magic tonight, who knows what we can do against one of the best European football teams at the moment."

Liverpool has a special connection with the city of Istanbul ever since that Champions League final, with it being the sort of story that lives on in legend.

However, the side's record in Turkiye has been far from ideal since. The Reds haven't won any of the last four away games in the nation in previous campaigns, which includes two defeats to Galatasaray last season.

Considering the difficulties that Fenerbahce has faced in recent weeks, there will be a hope that the record can turn around and finally work in the Merseyside outfit's favor.

However, Kuyt has clearly looked to use the memories of Liverpool against his former side, in what is a huge night for him as the interim coach.