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Gerrard urges Suarez to shake

Image: Gerrard: Wants gesture from Suarez

Steven Gerrard wants Luis Suarez to shake hands with Patrice Evra before the clash between Liverpool and Manchester United.

Liverpool skipper calls for calm ahead of United showdown

Steven Gerrard wants Luis Suarez to shake hands with Patrice Evra before the clash between Liverpool and Manchester United. Suarez was found guilty last December by an independent regulatory commission of racially abusing United defender Evra, and banned for eight games. The Uruguayan attacker, who denied the charge, then refused to shake Evra's hand when the teams played at Old Trafford in February. The match sees the clubs meet in the Premier League at Anfield, in Liverpool's first home match since publication of the report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel. It promises to be an emotional occasion after years of campaigning by Liverpool supporters for 'Justice for the 96'. Liverpool captain Gerrard goes into the match hoping that Suarez and Evra can show that both sides can leave their previous differences in the past. "I think those two players could be the key," Gerrard told The Observer. "The handshake is at the beginning of the match and they've got a responsibility to start the day off on a good note. "I will speak to Suarez and my advice will be to shake hands and move on. Suarez will make his own decision. Of course he will. But I'd like to think he would want to move on himself." Gerrard made his own call for calm, saying: "I'm sure the Liverpool and Manchester United fans know what the right thing to do is. There's a big game of football and a lot at stake at the weekend. But this is more important than football, what we're talking about. "We all love football because of these rivalries. That can't stop. But there's a line."

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