Liverpool Legends ran out 2-0 winners over Celtic at Anfield on Saturday as the Reds’ stars from yesteryear once again rolled back the years.
Steven Gerrard opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Martin Skrtel was brought down in the box, before Mark Gonzalez maintained his sensational scoring run in Legends football by doubling the lead with a well-taken finish moments after the restart.
Celtic would also have two goals disallowed in what proved to be a competitive encounter, with plenty of fiery tackles flying in. And as Liverpool celebrated another Legends victory, here are some of the moments you might have missed…
READ MORE: Liverpool Legends player 'ratings' vs Celtic as Ragnar Klavan incredible and Steven Gerrard lively
READ MORE: Steven Gerrard targeted with bottles after Liverpool Legends goal against Celtic
Gerrard has last laugh
As a former Rangers manager who denied Celtic a famous ‘10-in-a-row’, Steven Gerrard was always going to be a pantomime villain with the travelling support. He wasn’t alone, of course, with Charlie Adam, Gregory Vignal, and Gary McAllister also jeered for such allegiances, but it was the legendary Liverpool captain who bore the brunt of such treatment.
“If you hate Steven Gerrard, clap your hands,” was one early chant from the away fans as they took every opportunity to mock Gerrard, be it booing his touches or jeering his misplaced passes. Charity game or not, there was no love lost.
Gerrard would bite back at one point in the first half, cupping his hands to his ears ahead of taking a free-kick in front of the supporters as the boos rained down. Moments later, he would celebrate wildly in front of the same corner after opening the scoring.
Meanwhile, when taking part in the lap of honour after the game, Gerrard, accompanied by his children, would decline applauding the Celtic supporters. Who can blame him and, with a goal and victory under his belt, he had the last laugh.
O’Dea fumes as Celtic bemoan lack of VAR
Celtic would have two goals disallowed in the second half, much to their disgust despite this ‘only’ being a charity game.
Darren O’Dea would furiously boot the ball out of play towards the dugouts after his header from a corner was chalked off. In a competitive encounter, such insolence would earn the defender a booking.
Meanwhile, Celtic assistant manager Tom Boyd would gesture for VAR after a Ragnar Klavan own goal was ruled out, with manager Paul Lambert also questioning some of the decisions when speaking post-match.
Lambert would also be an animated figure during the encounter, leaving his technical area on a number occasions. This did not go unnoticed with ECHO columnist and Liverpool assistant manager John Aldridge, who took great glee in teasing the Scot following his outburst.
Standing ovation for unlikely hero
Sadly, as has often become the case in Legends football, there is always one idiot who ignores the constant warnings to not encroach the pitch.
Fortunately, there was just the one pitch-invader on Saturday, and Liverpool’s stewarding team dealt with the person in question most quickly.
Rugby-tackling the culprit in question to the crowd, before marching him off the pitch, the two stewards were applauded for such efforts as the pitch-invader was loudly booed.
And returning to their working positions, both stewards would granted a standing ovation from the Kop. On a day littered with legends, they were two unlikely heroes and arguably produced the tackle of the game.
Remember the name?
After the final whistle, it didn’t take Steven Gerrard long to ask for a ball so the Legends’ children could have a kickabout of their own on the pitch.
Such a request was quickly granted, with young son Lio Gerrard wasting no time in going to score in front of the Kop with his strike earning him cheers from the fans still inside the stadium.
Meanwhile, Djibril Cisse’s three children took their opportunity to pose for a picture with the legendary Gerrard, before kicking a ball around themselves. They too would score in front of the Kop.
With one of Cisse’s sons, Prince Kobe, in the Liverpool Academy, who knows, maybe both Cisse Jr and Gerrard Jr will take to the Anfield turf themselves as Reds players in their own right one day.
READ NEXT:
Gareth Southgate gives Jordan Henderson England fitness update ahead of Man City v Liverpool
John Henry makes statement as FSG face familiar Liverpool situation in Boston
Kylian Mbappe gives Virgil van Dijk night to forget as seven Liverpool stars earn minutes
-
Liverpool handed new date for postponed Premier League fixture as another match moved
