'I hope it's written in the stars for him'
Dietmar Hamann has admitted he would love nothing more than seeing his good friend Steven Gerrard win a fairytale FA Cup in his final game for the club.
The popular German midfielder won the trophy twice at Liverpool with the Reds captain, playing in the successful 2001 and 2006 finals.
For Sunday's Wembley semi-final with Aston Villa, Hamann will assume fan status - sitting in the stands cheering his old team on.
"I think it would be a great story because his Liverpool career comes to an end this summer, the final is on his birthday and to win it for a third time would be very fitting," Hamann told Liverpoolfc.com.
"Let's hope it's written in the stars and it will happen like that."
The skipper is back from a three-game suspension in time for tomorrow's match-up with a side rejuvenated under the stewardship of Tim Sherwood.
Hamann hopes the No.8 comes straight into the starting XI, pointing to the way he can be relied upon to produce for the team in pressure situations.
He added: "He was always one of the key players because we could always rely on him in the big games, in most games, but especially in these games.
"Sometimes it can be hard to create goalscoring opportunities because teams tend to be cautious, and he's the one who can unlock doors."
Before any talk of cup romance begins, though, Liverpool must beat Villa in the semi-final first. Hamann insists that the key to victory is the Reds holding their nerve and maintaining their usual approach.
"You've got to approach it as you'd approach any game, the worst thing is if you approach it differently and get too nervous before a game and don't perform to your level and lose the game," he said.