The soccer landscape has changed beyond recognition since Liverpool fans trekked to Rome for the 1984 European Cup final.
Then, the English champions had a team made up almost entirely of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh players - Zimbabwean goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar the eccentric and exotic exception.
Roma meanwhile were decorated with mercurial Brazilians Paulo Roberto Falcao and Toninho Cerezo; every other man in their panel was Italian.
All the old stories of the Reds' famous triumph on penalty kicks have resurfaced in the build-up to tomorrow night's Champions League first leg at Anfield, from Grobbelaar's wobbly legs to the Liverpool players belting out Chris Rea in the tunnel before the game.
For Ian Rush, in Dublin for the announcement of Liverpool's summer friendly against Napoli at the Aviva Stadium, it feels like only yesterday.
"To go to Roma and beat them on penalties in their own ground was absolutely amazing," he told RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue.
"We played with confidence, had a great team spirit - similar to what Liverpool have at the moment.
"The most nerve-racking moment for me in my career was walking from the halfway line to that peno spot to take the fourth penalty. You're by yourself, you haven't got your team-mates to help you, 60,000 people booing at you.
"It was very intimidating. It was like going into the Colosseum.
"It was the Chris Rea song, 'I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It'," Rush added when recalling how the men in red eased their nerves in the Stadio Olimpico tunnel by wailing out a tune.
"It stunned the Roma players. They were looking at us going, 'how can they be singing going out for a cup final?'. What I do remember as well was, even though there wasn't a great deal of Liverpool supporters, you could hear them singing."
Rush was the sole Welshman in the Liverpool panel that night, with three Republic of Ireland internationals part of Bob Paisley's side: Ronnie Whelan - "probably the most underrated player Liverpool have ever had" - Mark Lawrenson and Michael Robinson, who came on for Kenny Dalglish in extra-time.
Tomorrow the flags of Egypt, Brazil, Bosnia, Germany and the Netherlands will be well represented with a splattering of Englishman and a single Scot - Andy Robertson - likely to be on show.
Robbie Keane is the last man from these shores to pull on a Liverpool shirt (though defender Conor Masterson is knocking on the first-team door). Still, the enormous fanbase here means plenty across the country will be glued to their TV screens in nervous anticipation.
"It's always nice when you come to Ireland because there's such a good following," said Rush.
"There's always a connection with Liverpool and the Irish. Every time I go to a Liverpool game you hear an Irish accent."
Rush was a goal machine for the club, rattling home 346 of them in his two stints at Anfield. He, like everyone else, is in thrall to a new sensation that's taken the Premier League by storm this campaign.
Freshly crowned PFA Player of the Year Mo Salah has 41 goals to his name and could yet smash Rush's club record of 47 - set in the 1983/84 season.
"He's a joy to watch," the legendary No 9 said. "When I scored my goals I went out knowing I was going to score. I'm sure Salah is doing exactly the same.
"It's always nice when you have record, but he breaks it in the Champions League final I''ll be happy.
"It's going to be difficult. You look at Roma, they've qualified form the last two rounds on away goal so it's very important that Liverpool don't concede tomorrow.
"If Liverpool can go to Rome without Roma scoring at Liverpool I'll be happy. Roma are a god side, no doubt about it, but I think Liverpool might have a bit too much strength in depth.
"I believe they'll score goals."
