The eighth annual Liverpool FC Legends recreation on Saturday noticed a document Anfield crowd of just under 60,000, with each ticket bought. These video games do matter and supply moments of happiness at a time when some have gotten disillusioned with trendy soccer.
Stroll round Anfield on Saturday and you’ll have seen plenty of households, plenty of smiles, and plenty of kids both attending their first recreation at Liverpool’s residence or having the ability to attend with their household.
There have been loads of smiles on the pitch too.
A few of the discourse, particularly on-line, typically focuses on whether or not a participant is taken into account a ‘legend’ or not, however that utterly misses the purpose of those video games. To not point out that most of the gamers concerned typically level out that they don’t take into account themselves a ‘legend’.
It’s only a time period, the definition isn’t necessary. Both means, each participant on that pitch is legendary for having performed for Liverpool Soccer Membership, that in itself, it could possibly be argued, makes them a ‘legend’.
Two of the goalscorers in opposition to Ajax, Gregory Vignal and Nabil El Zhar, definitely aren’t ‘Liverpool Legends’ within the method of being legendary gamers for Liverpool Soccer Membership.
“It’s at all times a pleasure to come back again and play at Anfield,” Vignal instructed This Is Anfield post-match. “Particularly for a superb trigger for the LFC Basis.”
The smile on the previous French defender’s face mentioned all of it. Beaming after he scored, celebrating with a hug for Sven-Goran Eriksson on the sidelines. Within the blended zone after, like so many others, he was blissful, relaxed and humble.
Vignal solely performed 20 occasions for Liverpool however that doesn’t matter. He was right here, contributing to representing the membership and elevating cash for the LFC Basis. Since launching in 2017, the Legends video games have raised over £6.4 million to learn the Liverpool Metropolis Area and internationally.
El Zhar, in the meantime, solely performed 32 occasions for the Reds, however equalled his objective tally for the membership with an outstanding solo effort in entrance of the Kop. The knee slide celebration confirmed how a lot it nonetheless means to those gamers.
Think about signing for Liverpool Soccer Membership at age 20, struggling to interrupt into the workforce, leaving and by no means returning to a membership of the elite degree. But returning over a decade later to attain in entrance of 60,000 followers and take of their celebrations.
Maybe it means extra to gamers similar to Vignal and El Zhar that they will come again and be a part of these video games after their enjoying profession on the membership finally ended not how they might have wished.
Anyway, who would begrudge a former participant having the ability to return and play in entrance of 60,000 followers at a bought out Anfield?! Anyone scoffing at names on the teamsheet are completely lacking the purpose of those video games and events.
The gamers admire the chance
Once you communicate or work together with any of the ex-players, whether or not it’s a participant who made fewer than 20 begins for the membership or a bona fide ‘legend’ like Sami Hyypia or Luis Garcia, what’s abundantly clear is their appreciation for having the ability to take part in these video games.
They take it significantly, they don’t need to lose – significantly within the current recreation in opposition to Man United – the gamers are nonetheless on the market to get a win for Liverpool FC.
After the match, the gamers get pleasure from an outstanding social occasion collectively. You see how a lot it means to them now, and the way a lot it meant to them that they represented the soccer membership all of us love. Liverpool grabs you, and so most of the returning gamers present it.
Jari Litmanen made solely 43 appearances for the Reds, one of the vital underused elite gamers the membership has arguably ever had. The Finn was again on Saturday, enjoying in opposition to the membership he revamped 250 appearances for and scored 133 targets – and but he regards Liverpool as ‘his membership‘.
Litmanen, like so many gamers, grew up supporting the Reds. He arrived from Barcelona, received three trophies in his first six months, however solely ever began 19 video games for the membership. How particular is it that he can return now as a 53-year-old and play for the membership he grew up supporting.
Lovely moments and tales
Or take Mark Gonzalez, who signed for the membership as a 22-year-old and featured in 36 video games in his debut season however by no means performed for the membership once more.
“I used to be actually wanting ahead to enjoying for Liverpool from the primary second,” he recalled. “It was a dream come true.
“Every single day I used to be speaking to myself saying, ‘Do you realise the place you’re? I imply, Steven Gerrard is your teammate, Carragher is your teammate, Sami Hyypia…’”
Gonzalez suffered a coronary heart assault three years in the past, aged simply 36. A yr after that he scored twice for the LFC Legends at Outdated Trafford, together with an outstanding free-kick.
He then scored in opposition to United at Anfield and Celtic final yr. 4 targets in three video games for the winger – and he was spectacular once more in opposition to Ajax this trip.
Think about that second for him, stood in entrance of a full Kop, taking of their acclaim.
That a few of these gamers weren’t ready to reach the best way they might have wished after they joined Liverpool Soccer Membership as younger footballers from a international nation, arguably makes these moments much more poignant and vital.
Gonzalez was fast to level out that he himself doesn’t take into account himself a ‘legend’ like these gamers who he was in awe of when he joined the membership – gamers who he now will get to play alongside once more and revel in social time collectively. Gamers who are actually pals and whose bonds are strengthened yearly with these events. That doesn’t occur at each soccer membership.
It’s a gorgeous story, of which one other was the give attention to Saturday when Sven-Goran Eriksson was in a position to fulfil a lifelong dream to handle the membership he supported.
“To sit down on the bench for Liverpool, that’s been my dream my entire life,” the Swede mentioned post-match. “It was filled with feelings, tears coming. It’s a superb end, to complete with Liverpool, it may’t be significantly better than that.”
Eriksson sat smiling and making jokes in a post-match press convention alongside Fernando Torres. A participant who some Liverpool followers will staunchly argue not solely isn’t a legend however is a ‘traitor’. However have a look at the Spaniard now, take heed to what he says. In fact he regrets leaving the membership, particularly the way of it.
No one greater than Torres needs that we’d received the league in 2009, gone on to get pleasure from extra success and been on the membership longer than three and a half years. He’s now in a position to proper among the wrongs of his departure due to video games like this.
The previous No.9 broke many hearts along with his transfer to Chelsea, maybe the primary to make followers suppose they’d by no means fall in love with a participant once more. However is it price carrying the grudge? The resentment helps no one.
At a time when a whole lot of skilled soccer has points which might be turning folks away from the sport they beloved, Legends matches present nothing however pure positivity and delightful moments for these concerned and those that embrace it for what it’s.
