Mascherano is handed key role of snuffing out danger-man Kaka

Cup football has thrown up its share of improbable tales down the years, but the account of the Argentina midfielder's first season in England takes some beating.

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Unlikely lad: Mascherano has gone from West Ham misfit to key man at Liverpool

A bewildered, peripheral figure at the outset as he struggled in vain to hold down a starting place at relegation-threatened West Ham, he is now heading for the biggest event on the European club calendar.

Not just to make up the numbers, either. As Rafa Benitez puts the finishing touches to his tactical masterplan ahead of Liverpool's Athens meeting with AC Milan tomorrow, Mascherano looks earmarked for the crucial role of trying to shackle a player he describes as the best in the world.

Kaka's darting runs and unerring finishing contributed most to Manchester United's semi-final downfall. It says much for Mascherano's standing at Anfield that he is likely to be trusted with a task that could hold the key to Liverpool's hopes of a sixth European title.

It seems an age away from his Upton Park misery, yet it is barely three months since UEFA sanctioned a transfer which allowed the 5ft 9in anchorman to demonstrate why — a month short of his 23rd birthday — he has already won 22 caps for one of the world's leading nations.

Expert at winning the ball and just as proficient at keeping it, he freely admits to owing Benitez a huge debt and insists he is ready to repay a sizeable chunk of it if asked to reprise one of international football's fiercest rivalries.

Twice he and his Brazil counterpart have contested World Cup qualifying points. The record stands at one win apiece and the thought of another momentous personal duel serves as a reminder of how his fortunes have been transformed since he left his compatriot Carlos Tevez behind at Upton Park.

Mascherano said: "To many, Kaka is the best in the world at the moment and he will be a real danger to us in the final.

"He is Milan's most important player, for sure, as he showed against United and he is the leading scorer in this season's Champions League. That tells you how important it is we pay close attention to him.

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Danger man: Kaka shredded United and wants to do the same against Liverpool

"He is not Milan's only great player and we have to think about how we can cause them damage as well as contain them. We have to be proactive and give Milan something to worry about.

"But if it is my job to stop Kaka I would be very happy to take on the responsibility. Every player in the world would love an occasion and challenge like this.

"To be living this moment, just a few days away from the biggest club game in the world, is something you dream about as a small boy.

"After what has happened in my career this season I find it almost unbelievable. I could never have envisaged my season finishing like this. The thought of playing in the Champions League Final never crossed my mind. It simply couldn't.

"The season has been a very strange experience for me. At the start of it, I was part of a struggling team. Not only that, I wasn't getting picked.

"Then this opportunity came out of the blue and here I am getting ready to take part in a European Cup Final. Surreal is probably the best way to describe it.

"I will always be grateful to West Ham for opening the door for me to come and play in Europe. If it wasn't for West Ham I wouldn't be enjoying this special moment with Liverpool now.

"But in three months here I have played more football than in five months at Upton Park, so there is no question I made the right decision leaving.

"Liverpool made me feel at home straight away and being given the chance to play in the Champions League Final is just an incredible extra twist."

In their first meeting in London, Benitez pulled out a pen and paper and began drawing a precise picture of how Mascherano would fit into Liverpool's midfield. The Liverpool manager has been impressing his latest acquisition ever since.

"He has been crucial in my resurgence this season, absolutely crucial," he said. "I was languishing at West Ham, after months without a game, when he came in and showed so much faith in me. He has had a great influence on me already and has given me back my self-belief.

"It counts for so much when you know the manager has trust in you. I have a lot more confidence now because of that — and because I am part of a team on the cusp of being European champions for a sixth time.

"I am very lucky to be part of that and I welcome the responsibility of trying to make sure we do it.

"Athens is a special place for me because that is where I won my first gold medal when Argentina beat Paraguay 1-0 at the 2004 Olympics.

"The medal is locked away at my parents' home in Argentina. They look after all the things I have picked up during my career and I just hope there will be another winner's medal to add to the collection after this game."