Wednesday 6 January 2016 17:51, UK
Seven months after leaving Liverpool, Steven Gerrard is relishing the opportunity to captain the Reds again in a Legends match.
The former skipper will be handed the armband once more for a game between Liverpool Legends and Australia Legends in Sydney on Thursday (8.30am GMT).
It will be Gerrard's first appearance for the Legends side as he lines up alongside former team-mates Jamie Carragher, Luis Garcia and Dietmar Hamann.
"Hopefully, there'll be many more of these occasions," said Gerrard. "It's great to be part of an occasion like this, almost like a reunion of players we played with and heroes of mine that I grew up watching.
"Also, to play for Gerard (Houllier) again is a special occasion for all of us. Hopefully, there'll be many more in the pipeline when I come back from America."
Gerrard called time on his Liverpool career last summer when he made the move to LA Galaxy.
But he is determined to make a winning return against an Australian side featuring Brett Emerton, Tony Popovic and Robbie Slater.
"When you've got that red shirt on and that armband on you've got a job to do," he told Liverpool's official website.
"Yes it's a friendly match and it's going to be a great occasion but when you are a footballer it's instilled in you to win, it's inside, and I want to come away from Australia a winner, as simple as that.
"[The dressing room] will be noisy, it will be banter, it will be relaxed and it will be fun, but when the game starts people will play the way they played in their careers.
"There's a lot of vocal players out there, I'm a bit like that myself once I get on the pitch, so I'm sure there will be a lot of communication, a lot of stick, a lot of banter, but once it starts we want to win the game."
Also playing for the Liverpool Legends will be the club's all-time leading goalscorer Ian Rush, Champions League winners John Arne Riise and Luis Garcia, and John Aldridge.
It will be the first time that Gerrard has played alongside former team-mate and Sky Sports pundit Carragher in two-and-a-half years.
"He's still got a voice," said Gerrard. "That's what I'm worried about, I'm not worried about the player because the player will never let you down.
"I'm just more worried about that constant voice in my ear for two hours. I'm not looking forward to that, definitely not."
Carragher has previously played for the Legends against Real Madrid and said: "That was fantastic and hopefully this one will be almost the same - because we lost that day and were cheated because we were the away team!
"II'll be having a good chat with the referee tomorrow to make sure it's all fair and square. It's fantastic, not just the game, as Gerard said, it's great to see the lads again.
"We all go our different ways and get involved in different things all around the world, especially with the game being so international at club level. It's great to get the lads together. We've had a small team-talk today off Gerard - he said to enjoy ourselves but make sure we're focused for the game."
Liverpool Legends squad: Bruce Grobbelaar, John Aldridge, Phil Babb, Patrik Berger, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler, Luis Garcia, Steven Gerrard, Stephane Henchoz, Vladimir Smicer, Ian Rush, Jason McAteer, Gary McAllister, Dietmar Hamann, John Arne Riise.
