Gerrard to captain LFC Legends team in Sydney
Steven Gerrard will proudly captain the Liverpool FC Legends for their game in Sydney against an Australian Legends XI this Thursday.
The former Reds skipper will be handed the armband once more by manager Gerard Houllier for a clash at the ANZ Stadium that can be watched live on LFCTV.
Anfield favourites such as Jamie Carragher, Dietmar Hamann and Luis Garcia will again be under the stewardship of the influential midfielder as they pull on the red shirt.
And Gerrard, who will be representing his boyhood club for the first time since his move to LA Galaxy last summer, insists he will be leading out a team desperate for victory.
“When you’ve got that red shirt on and that armband on you’ve got a job to do,” the 35-year-old told Liverpoolfc.com.
“Yes it’s a friendly match and it’s going to be a great occasion but when you are a footballer it’s instilled in you to win, it’s inside and I want to come away from Australia a winner, as simple as that.
“[The dressing room] will be noisy, it will be banter, it will be relaxed and it will be fun, but when the game starts people will play the way they played in their careers.
“There’s a lot of vocal players out there, I’m a bit like that myself once I get on the pitch, so I’m sure there will be a lot of communication, a lot of stick, a lot of banter, but once it starts we want to win the game.”
Gerrard will play alongside Carragher for the first time in two-and-a-half years and says he hasn’t missed one factor of his friend’s approach in particular.
He joked: “He’s still got a voice! That’s what I’m worried about, I’m not worried about the player because the player will never let you down. I’m just more worried about that constant voice in my ear for two hours!
“I’m not looking forward to that, definitely not!"
Though his achievements at Anfield have long seen him described as such prior to his involvement in this fixture, a humble Gerrard still struggles with the 'legend' tag bestowed upon him by fans.
“I don’t think as a player yourself you ever use the word or connect yourself with the term,” he added.
“I think that’s for other people to decide and it is obviously flattering to be named in a group with that word about.
"I would never call myself one or see myself as one, but it is nice to look back and see that you have contributed to the history of this football club and that’s what it’s all about.”
Tickets for this unmissable clash can still be bought by clicking here.