All roads lead to the NSK Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv tomorrow evening as Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the biggest game in club football - and arguably the biggest game in world football.
One thing for certain, this will be the biggest game that I will cover in my role as a regular contributor for The Redmen TV, the independent Liverpool media company.
My own journey these past few months has been as dramatic as Liverpool's run to the Champions League final, and just as unexpected. A journey that has taken me from shouting at the TV back in Galway to being invited on stage by the club in the Shevchenko Fan Park to entertain supporters before the big game.
I have always been a very opinionated and passionate Liverpool supporter, which often resulted in a debate with whoever would listen to me.
Mainstream media coverage alone wasn't enough for me and I would find myself scouring the internet to watch various different match analysis from around the world. As a self-confessed football nerd, I just couldn't get enough.
"It’s not just a case of shouting "net spend" and the likes down the camera unprepared"
Over a year ago I took part in a short debate for SportsJOE before a Liverpool-United game. The whole experience completely blew me away, I fell in love with the buzz of being on camera talking about a subject that I love so much.
I am a general sports fanatic and the ironic thing is a shared love of NFL first got me in contact with some of The Redmen TV presenters.
It was a unique ice-breaker and led to me doing a short preview for their NFL YouTube channel.
For those that are not familiar, Redmen TV provides fans with a voice within media circles and we produce video, audio and written content across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and The RedmenTV website.
Despite the preconceptions, it’s not just a case of shouting "net spend" and the likes down the camera unprepared. Football is a very emotive sport, with following Liverpool at the top end of the emotive spectrum, for myself and my colleagues at least.
This emotive side is captured in our coverage, particularly during in-match coverage and in the immediate post-match reaction right on the final whistle.
This should not disguise the endless hours of work done behind the scenes, often into the early hours and particularly after an evening game. Every show is researched in great detail, and with careful planning.
Even on a personal level, my match day routine has completely changed. It is no longer a random meet-up with mates. Instead, it’s a very busy day of production with tight deadlines to meet. Work starts in the build-up, keeping up to date with team news and injuries along with compiling some research on the opposition.
If circumstances prevail, and I am over in Liverpool in advance of the game, I will join the lads in the Uncensored Match Build Up preview show.
Matchday itself involves a hectic schedule. It starts off with meeting at the ground in time for the team announcement, with a live reaction show.
Immediately after the final whistle, we record our match reactions, player ratings and fan reactions outside the ground, before preparing for the ‘Final Word’ review show.
If I’m not lucky enough to attend the game, the routine is slightly different. I watch every game religiously, with the time taken beforehand to prepare my own studio, agonising over camera angles, audio levels and lighting, to name but three concerns I didn't have watching a Liverpool match in my previous life.
Early this morning I began my long journey to Kyiv for the eagerly anticipated clash with Real Madrid. This historic event will mean another hectic schedule in terms of content coverage.
The whole journey will be recorded for a planned documentary. On Saturday afternoon from 3-4pm, we will be live on stage in the Shevchenko Park Fan Park in Kyiv, entertaining Liverpool fans pre-match before hopefully watching Jurgen Klopp's squad bring home European Cup Number 6 to the hallowed turf of Anfield.
Klopp, much to our delight, recently told our main presenter Paul at the LFC awards ceremony that he watches our content. Just when you thought you couldn't love the guy anymore. He has transformed the football club on and off the pitch in his time in charge. His completely infectious passion has taken a grip on everyone involved.
There is such a bond between the team and the supporters. There is such a collective positive feeling that, without sounding overconfident, it seems like there is an inevitable positive outcome to this project.
Liverpool fans have rightly been accused in the past of focusing too much on the achievements of yesteryear. Thankfully this season we have witnessed some of the most scintillating football in the history of the club, as teams, particularly in Europe, have been completely blown away by both the atmosphere and breathtaking attacking football.
The wonderful ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ chant has become the soundtrack for this landmark campaign, a vocal and passionate collective force that has rocked Anfield and opposition stadiums. There were wonderful scenes at the end of the City and Roma away legs where both fans and players joyously sang it together.
Klopp spoke in his opening press conference after joining about wanting to turn doubters into believers and right now everyone connected with the football club well and truly believes. Saturday night, on the banks of the Dnieper River, destiny awaits for one final step of this very exciting journey.
Allez, Allez, Allez.
