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The eighth annual Liverpool FC Legends sport on Saturday noticed a file 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 numerous households, numerous smiles, and plenty of youngsters both attending their first sport at Liverpool’s house or having the ability to attend with their household.
There have been loads of smiles on the pitch too.
A number 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 lots of the gamers concerned usually level out that they don’t take into account themselves a ‘legend’.
It’s only a time period, the definition isn’t essential. Both method, each participant on that pitch is legendary for having performed for Liverpool Soccer Membership, that in itself, it may very well be argued, makes them a ‘legend’.
Two of the goalscorers in opposition to Ajax, Gregory Vignal and Nabil El Zhar, actually 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 informed This Is Anfield post-match. “Particularly for trigger for the LFC Basis.”
The smile on the previous French defender’s face stated all of it. Beaming after he scored, celebrating with a hug for Sven-Goran Eriksson on the sidelines. Within the combined zone after, like so many others, he was comfortable, 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 profit the Liverpool Metropolis Area and internationally.
El Zhar, in the meantime, solely performed 32 occasions for the Reds, however equalled his aim tally for the membership with an excellent 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 staff, 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 akin 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’d 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
Whenever you converse 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 severely, they don’t wish to lose – significantly within the latest sport in opposition to Man United – the gamers are nonetheless on the market to get a win for Liverpool FC.
After the match, the gamers take pleasure in an excellent 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 lots of the returning gamers present it.
Jari Litmanen made solely 43 appearances for the Reds, some of the underused elite gamers the membership has arguably ever had. The Finn was again on Saturday, enjoying in opposition to the membership he remodeled 250 appearances for and scored 133 objectives – 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 might be? 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 12 months after that he scored twice for the LFC Legends at Outdated Trafford, together with an excellent free-kick.
He then scored in opposition to United at Anfield and Celtic final 12 months. 4 objectives in three video games for the winger – and he was spectacular once more in opposition to Ajax this day out.
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 in a position to achieve the way in which they’d 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 luxuriate in social time collectively. Gamers who at the moment are associates and whose bonds are strengthened yearly with these events. That doesn’t occur at each soccer membership.
It’s a phenomenal story, of which one other was the deal with 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 stated post-match. “It was filled with feelings, tears coming. It’s end, to complete with Liverpool, it might’t be a lot 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 style of it.
No person greater than Torres needs that we’d received the league in 2009, gone on to take pleasure in 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 because of 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 value carrying the grudge? The resentment helps no one.
At a time when a number of skilled soccer has points which can be turning folks away from the sport they cherished, Legends matches present nothing however pure positivity and exquisite moments for these concerned and people who embrace it for what it’s.
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