GREATEST FOOTBALL COMEBACKS

Football’s greatest comebacks

TOOK SOME TICKER ... Steven Gerrard lifts the European Cup after Liverpool's amazing 2005 final

HEO WALCOTT’S hat-trick in Arsenal’s incredible 7-5 extra-time win over Reading last night has got the SunSport desk chuntering.

What was the greatest footballing comeback in the modern era?

Here we pick out six of the best and encourage Sun readers to tell us their favourites — or any we have missed — using the comments section below.

Pile in.

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan, 2005

STEVEN GERRARD and Co gave Rafa Benitez his first of two trophies at Liverpool when they staged an incredible fightback in Istanbul.

Like the FA Cup win 12 months later, it took a penalty shootout to ultimately secure the silverware.

But the heroism on display against a rampant AC Milan side who led 3-0 at half-time ranks this among the greatest comebacks.

Skipper Gerrard scored the first of three in the space of six second-half minutes, with Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso taking the game to extra-time.

Some bendy-legged action from Jerzy Dudek threw Milan’s players from the spot, with Andriy Shevchenko’s miss from 12 yards ensuring the trophy returned to Anfield.

Tottenham 3-5 Manchester United, 2001

VERON OUR WAY ... Manchester United stuck five past Tottenham in the second half

ALEX FERGUSON has instilled a never-say-die attitude at Manchester United that has become etched in folklore.

And one of his side’s greatest comebacks came at White Hart Lane when his side went into half-time 3-0 down after goals from Dean Richards, Les Ferdinand and Christian Ziege.

But Fergie’s men came out after the break and wiped the floor with Tottenham, with Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham on the scoresheet.

Speaking after the match, Ferguson said: “I’m not saying exactly what I said to them at half-time — why am I always asked that?”

Because every other manager in the country wants to know, Sir Alex.

Tottenham 3 Manchester City 4, 2004

DON'T MACKEN LIKE THEY USED TO ... City overhauled a three-goal deficit with 10 men

APPEARING twice on this list as the losers are Tottenham, who blew this FA Cup fourth-round tie in spectacular fashion.

Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege had fired Spurs into a three-goal lead before City midfielder Joey Barton persuaded referee Rob Styles to show him a second yellow card during half-time with some colourful language.

But this was a City side managed by Kevin Keegan, he of the all-out attack philosophy.

And 10-man City wasted no time in breaking down their hosts at White Hart Lane through Sylvain Distin’s 48th-minute goal.

Paul Bosvelt and Shaun Wright-Phillips got City level, before Jon Macken headed home the winner seconds from the end.

Manchester United 2 Bayern Munich 1, 1999

SLIDE RULE ... Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates his last-gasp winner

CHASING an unprecedented Treble, Alex Ferguson’s side went into this Champions League final without their suspended midfield duo of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.

And things started badly when Mario Basler curled in a sixth-minute free-kick for the Germans, who held the lead for the rest of normal time.

Teddy Sheringham looked to have forced extra-time at the Nou Camp when he steered home Ryan Giggs’ shot, only for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to win it by stabbing a corner past Oliver Khan seconds before the final whistle.

Not the greatest comeback in terms of number of goals perhaps, but, given the prize at stake, a more than worthy one.

Sweden 4 Germany 4, 2012

SWEDE DREAMS ... Rasmus Elm rescued a near-impossible point in Berlin

WHEN Real Madrid superstar Mesut Ozil scored in the 55th-minute in Berlin to put Germany 4-0 up, Joachim Low’s men were nailed on for a fourth straight win in 2014 World Cup qualifying Group C.

But the Swedes had other ideas, pouncing on their complacent opponents to rifle in four goals in last half hour to snatch a point.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled one back, before Carl Lustig and Johan Elmander gave them 15 minutes in which to carve out an equaliser.

It duly came – in the third minute of injury time – through Rasmus Elm, to prompt wild celebrations from the underdogs.

German boss Low later mused: “Normally we would not waste a four-goal lead.”

This was no normal match.

Arsenal 4-4 Newcastle, 2011

ABOUT TOON ... Cheick Tiote's volley for Newcastle saw Arsenal's four-goal lead wiped out

NEWCASTLE made a name for themselves in the 1990s with some incredible matches.

But Alan Pardew’s current crop showed they can also turn on the goals with this incredible four-goal reply at St James’ Park.

Theo Walcott had scored after 44 seconds before Johan Djourou and Robin van Persie made it 3-0 after 10 minutes.

Van Persie scored again for Arsenal's fourth midway through the first half, only for Abou Diaby’s red card after the break to give the Toon a sniff.

Joey Barton hammered home two penalties either side of a Leon Best effort, before a thundering volley from Cheick Tiote with three minutes remaining slavaged a point.