Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann feels that the Liverpool FC Legends game against the Australian Legends will be a great platform for Steven Gerrard to get back into shape ahead of the 2016 MLS season.
Liverpool’s official website confirmed that a legends side led by Gerard Houllier will face an Australian Legends team in the new year.
Although the complete line-up of the exhibition match has not yet been announced, it has been confirmed that Gerrard, Ian Rush, Jamie Carragher, Hamann and John Arne Riise will feature for the Reds.
The match is set to take place at the Sydney ANZ Stadium in Australia on 7th January.
Speaking in an interview with LFC TV, Hamann insisted that the match can prove to be a great platform for Gerrard to prepare ahead of next year’s MLS. Gerrard has a year left on his contract with LA Galaxy.
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The 42-year-old also pointed out that it may be the last chance for the Anfield faithful Down Under to witness their legendary captain don the Liverpool shirt.
“Well, first and foremost, the guy who led us to so many victories over recent years is back in a Liverpool shirt”, Hamann said.
“It’s great to have him [Gerrard] back because he’s meant to go back to LA and play for another year.
“He can use it as a bit of a fitness drill, hopefully do a bit of a training at the end, and hopefully make it a bit easier, when he does get back to LA.”
The former German midfielder also joked that Gerrard will need to take a step back as he will be one of the only players on show who is currently playing professional football.
“I don’t know how he will cope, because he’s still active, probably one of the few – maybe the only one who’s still active when we do play.
“So he probably has to take a step back and we have to bring him down to our level, because most of us are finished for a few years.”
Hamann, who has also played for Bayern Munich and Manchester City, hailed the match as a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Liverpool fans in Australia to witness their former favourites live in action.
“I think this is an occasion, which I don’t know how many more times we do see, hopefully in the future he plays a few more games for us.
“Then to see the team as it’s been put together, I think it would be unique if we play a few games in recent months and years, but I think the way we are set up when we go to Australia, I don’t think these players have played an awful lot together, if at all.
“We don’t know, when the next time will be, so and then we don’t know when the next time will be in Australia.
“So I think, it’s a maybe once in a lifetime opportunity for the guys out in Australia to see us and hopefully many of them will turn up.”
