Stevie G to face former Reds at Star Sixes tournament
Steven Gerrard is one of the best players Fernando Morientes and Luis Garcia have ever played with – but the Spanish duo will put their admiration for the former Liverpool skipper to one side when they face off on the opening night of Star Sixes.
Reds legend Gerrard is set to captain an England side that also features former Anfield aces Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and David James at the tournament – a six-a-side world cup for iconic former internationals at The O2 in London from July 13 to 16.
And there will be two very familiar faces on the opposing team when the Three Lions begin their Group A campaign on Thursday July 13, with Morientes and Garcia ready to don their national jerseys again, too.
Group A also includes Scotland, which means ex-Liverpool men Don Hutchison and Dominic Matteo will face Gerrard’s England side on Friday July 14 and the Spain side captained by World Cup winner Carles Puyol on Saturday July 15.
Beyond the Reds connections, the 12-nation tournament will see such stellar names as Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Carlos, Robert Pires, Michael Ballack, Deco and Jay-Jay Okocha captain their countries.
The eight former Liverpool players involved made more than 1,900 appearances for the club between them, and the prospect of sharing the same pitch as Gerrard – especially on the opening night of the competition – has Morientes enthused.
“Stevie is incredible, one of the best players I’ve played with,” said the striker. “He is a player with strength, extraordinary quality, great medium and long-range passing, and is one of the most complete players on the football scene.
“Star Sixes is a great idea and it will be a pleasure to not only play against other national teams but also old teammates, like Steven, who are highly recognised in the world of football.”
Garcia’s praise for his former skipper is just as fulsome, and he too can’t wait to face Gerrard at Star Sixes.
“Stevie is one of the greats, a real leader on and off the pitch,” said Garcia.
“I loved my time in England, a real football country. Obviously, Liverpool’s fans are special to me, but everywhere you go in England, at whatever level, the fans really support their team in an amazing way.
“For a tournament like Star Sixes, there is no better place to have it.
“It’s not often you get the chance to play against such great players in a tournament like this, which is similar in format to the World Cup. It will be a fantastic chance for supporters to see world-class players competing again.”
As for Gerrard, he’s looking forward to playing both with and against old Liverpool teammates – and captaining his country.
“I’m really excited with the team we’ve got in place so far, so I’m really looking forward to Star Sixes – it can’t come quick enough,” said Gerrard, whose England squad also features Rio Ferdinand and Phil Neville.
“It takes me back to the Germany 5-1 game [in 2001], Emile and Michael getting on the scoresheet and also having Rio at the back as a rock-solid defender.
“There’s a Liverpool contingent in there, but it’s all about England on the day, doing the country justice and trying to do well in the tournament.”
For more information on the Star Sixes tournament and details of how to attend, head to www.starsixes.com, follow @StarSixes on Twitter or Instagram, or visit the Star Sixes Facebook page.