Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Thierry Henry to star for Steven Gerrard's XI against Jamie Carragher
Saturday 28 March 2015 23:46, UK
Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Thierry Henry in the same team? Read our guide to Gerrard's XI v Carragher's XI at Anfield.
Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez are amongst a number of former Liverpool stars set to line up for the all-star charity match.
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher will captain the two sides, who face off on March 29 in a match organised by Liverpool's official charity - the Liverpool FC Foundation.
Brendan Rodgers will manage Gerrard's team, while former Reds boss Roy Evans will return to lead Carragher's side.
As well as Suarez and Torres, the two captains have called on some familiar names, while the squads will also be made up of academy players and current members of the Liverpool squad who will not be on international duty.
We take a look at the side's line-ups and check out their CVs…
Gerrard's XI
GOALKEEPER
"I'm going to be loyal to Brad Jones - he's a current team-mate."
Brad Jones
The goalkeeper is one of the current Liverpool players to turn out for this charity game. The 32-year-old has made five appearances for the Reds this season but has struggled to usurp Simon Mignolet to be Brendan Rodgers’ number one between the posts.
DEFENCE
"I'm going for the best centre-half I've played with - one of the best centre-halves England's ever seen - JT. Riise will partner him as he'll do me a job up and down the left."
John Terry
Terry has played with Gerrard for England on countless occasions, travelling to three World Cups and two European Championships with the Liverpool man. The Chelsea captain has won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and Europa League with the Blues, where he is still mainstay in the starting line-up.
Ashley Williams
The Wales international has been a reported Liverpool target in the past and will get the chance to play under his former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers this Sunday. Williams has played every minute of the Swans' Premier League campaign this season and is expected to win his 50th international cap against Israel at the weekend.
John Arne Riise
The Norwegian with the mean left foot made 348 appearances during his seven-year spell at Liverpool. Riise was part of the side that registered the memorable triumph in Istanbul 10 years ago when the Reds won the Champions League, and he is now plying his trade in Cyprus for APOEL Nicosia, but has only made one appearance since joining in September.
Scott Dann
Liverpool-born centre-back Dann has been a key figure at the heart of the Eagles' defence this season, featuring in all but four of their Premier League matches. The 28-year-old started his career with Walsall before spells with Coventry City, Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers, who he left in January 2014 to join Palace.
Anthony Gerrard
The cousin of Liverpool skipper Steven, Anthony came through the youth academy at Everton but has played most of his football with Walsall, Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town. He left the Terriers recently to join Oldham Athletic on loan and has been capped at Under-18 level by Republic of Ireland.
MIDFIELD
"I'm going to go for the best midfielder I've played with in Xabi Alonso; a top passer, he'll get us playing, control the tempo. I'm thinking of the spine. I want the chance to play with Xabi again so I'm going to play alongside him - you can't buy experience! Kevin Nolan will get us the goals from the middle - he doesn't have to defend; we'll do that for him. I'm looking for a bit of width and pace, a few assists in Ryan Babel - great assist for me at Real Madrid - hopefully he can do the same, if I can get to the edge of the box these days!"
Xabi Alonso
The midfield maestro is one of the best in the business and is currently part of Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Bayern Munich side, who are running away with the Bundesliga and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 7-0 hammering of Shakhtar Donetsk. Alonso won Europe's elite competition for a second time with Real Madrid last season, after lifting the trophy with the Reds in Istanbul.
Steven Gerrard
702 appearances, 183 goals. The Liverpool legend is leaving Anfield at the end of the season as he starts a new chapter in his career, joining LA Galaxy in the MLS. But the 34-year-old is focused on success in the current campaign, with Brendan Rodgers' men reaching an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn. With the final on the day of his 35th birthday, Gerrard would love to sign off his Liverpool career in style.
Kevin Nolan
Sam Allardyce has previously called him 'West Ham’s Steven Gerrard', and the midfielder has made himself a vital part of the Hammers' midfield. Although overlooked by the England set-up, Nolan has regularly been one of the top performers in the Premier League and will add some steel to the middle of the park for Gerrard's side.
Ryan Babel
Babel's time at Anfield was not the most memorable but he still holds affection for his former club. The Dutchman made 146 appearances for the Reds between 2007 and 2011 and, after joining Hoffenheim then having a spell back at former club Ajax, the 28-year-old is now playing for Turkish side Kasimpala, where he has six goals in 20 appearances this season.
Charlie Adam
Stoke midfielder Adam says that Gerrard is the best player he has played alongside and he will get the chance to link up with his former Liverpool team-mate again this weekend. The Scotland international made 28 appearances in his one season at Anfield and was part of the side that lifted the 2011/12 League Cup.
Jay Spearing
Like Gerrard and Carragher, Spearing came up through the ranks at Liverpool and was captain of the side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2007. He went on to feature 55 times for the Reds and was part of the squad that won the 2011/12 League Cup. After leaving Anfield, he had loan spells with Leicester and Bolton and is currently on loan at Blackburn from Bolton.
STRIKERS
"I'm going for the man in form - six in four for Barca - he can play slightly off-center because I've got a partnership up my sleeve. Yes, I'm going to go for Fernando Torres as well - the two best strikers I've played with - I would have loved for them to be in the same team. I'm also going to go for Henry - to give you (Carra) another torturous 90 minutes!"
Thierry Henry
Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona are on the Frenchman’s CV, and he has now added Sky Sports to his resume having joined as a pundit this season. Henry and Carragher have already enjoyed spirited debates on the studio and have come up against each other on the pitch a fair few times in the past.
Luis Suarez
Suarez was a key figure in Liverpool's challenge for the title last season, before making his big-money switch to Barcelona in the summer. After a slow start to life at Camp Nou, the Uruguay international has starting banging in the goals and has scored six in his last four appearances in all competitions.
Fernando Torres
Torres settled into Premier League life instantly with Liverpool, and was lethal in his first season, scoring 33 goals in all competitions on his way to 81 strikes in 142 appearances during his Anfield career. He will not look back on his time at Chelsea as fondly after struggling to recapture his form, but he is now on a long-term loan at boyhood club Atletico Madrid from AC Milan.
Carragher's XI
GOALKEEPER
"In goal, I'm going with Pepe Reina. He's a top keeper and the best I've played with."
Pepe Reina
Reina capped off his first season at Anfield with an FA Cup-winning performance as Liverpool defeated West Ham on penalties, following Steven Gerrard's last-gasp heroics. With a spell at Napoli following his nine years with the Reds, the 32-year-old Spaniard now plays for Bayern Munich behind Manuel Neuer.
Peter Gulacsi
Hungarian goalkeeper Gulacsi was an understudy to Reina for a number of years at Anfield but never made a first-team appearance. He had loan spells with Tranmere Rovers, Hereford United and Hull City before eventually leaving in search of first-team football and joining Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2013.
DEFENCE
"I'm going to go for myself at the back; I've carried the back four at times for Liverpool. Riise will go forward, but he can't defend so I'll go for Arbeloa alongside me. He's a reliable defender - no messing about - I wish we still had him. I'll put Arbeloa at right-back and I'll go for Kelly on the left. There will be a nice bit of balance; a right-footer can play on the left, a left-footer can't play on the right."
Jamie Carragher (c)
A no-nonsense centre-back who wore his heart on his sleeve, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher needs no introduction. More than 500 appearances in a glittering career, this one-club man will be looking to get the better of current colleagues on the opposing team, as well as former ones.
Alvaro Arbeloa
Real Madrid full-back Arbeloa spent two-and-a-half years on Merseyside during which he made 63 appearances, scoring twice. While his spell at the club failed to yield a trophy, the Premier League experience secured his place in Spain's all-conquering team which went on to win two European Championships and the World Cup. He has since won La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles during his spell at the Bernabeu.
Martin Kelly
Brought through the ranks at Liverpool over 10 years, Kelly moved from his boyhood club to Crystal Palace at the start of this campaign, having made 26 appearances in just over five seasons. Having developed under the wing of Carragher towards the tail-end of his career, Kelly will be reunited with the player he once backed to become Liverpool manager.
Gael Clichy
Playing in the same defence will be a new experience for Carragher and Clichy after being on opposite sides throughout Carragher's playing career. Clichy made over 250 appearances over an eight-year spell with Arsenal and is close to playing his 100th match for Manchester City, who he joined in 2011.
MIDFIELD
"Raul Meireles wasn't at Liverpool that long but he's a good footballer. And I'll partner him with Jonjo Shelvey in midfield. Jonjo is a bit of a lunatic at times but I'll let him know it's not just a friendly and he'll ruffle some feathers! I'll go for Garcia as he’ll get a goal, no doubt. I'm also going for a local lad in Craig Noone because he'll know what the game is all about."
Luis Garcia
Despite notching 18 goals in 52 Liverpool appearances, Sky Sports’ Revista de La Liga pundit Luis Garcia will forever be remembered for the goal that never was. If we roll back 10 years to the 2005 Champions League semi-final, Garcia 'scored' the infamous ghost goal as the Reds rekindled their affection with the European Cup by sealing their place in the final. And we all know what happened in Istanbul.
Raul Meireles (UPDATE: injured and unlikely to play)
The Portuguese midfielder, who currently pies his trade with Fenerbahce, scored the first goal of fleeting Liverpool career against Merseyside rivals Everton in January 2011. In the 12 months spent at the club, Meireles bagged three goals in 35 appearances, most notably the winning strike in a 1-0 win at Chelsea, before leaving for the Bridge to team up with compatriot Andre Villas-Boas.
Jonjo Shelvey
The current Swansea midfielder only managed to score twice in 17 appearances for Liverpool but he returns to Anfield in imperious form against his old club, having twice against following his departure. He'll be hoping to continue his habit of scoring on Merseyside and will surely add some much-needed mettle to Carra's XI.
Craig Noone
Life-long Liverpool fan, and Cardiff City midfielder, Noone lines up both with and against some of his boyhood idols. The 27-year-old, has never hidden his admiration for the club, will be hoping for a better result than the 3-1 defeat the Bluebirds suffered the last time he visited Anfield as a player.
Stewart Downing
The winger netted seven goals in 91 appearances for Liverpool and was named man of the match in the 2011/12 League Cup final as the Reds beat Cardiff on penalties. Downing has rediscovered his best form at West Ham this season and has won 35 caps for England.
Harry Kewell
Three-time Oceania Footballer of the Year, Kewell won four trophies with Liverpool after joining from Leeds in 2003, starting with the Champions League in 2004/05. He would go on to lift the UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and Community Shield, and made nearly 150 appearances in all competitions for the Reds. He won 56 caps for Australia, scoring 17 goals, before retiring in 2014.
STRIKERS
"I'm going for Drogba as he'll be up against John Terry; knows him well and knows his weaknesses. Alongside him, I'm going for Kuyt - it's a big game and he always delivers. He was a great player for Liverpool and a great lad. Stevie has gone for the superstars, the big names, the egos, the 'flash-harrys'; I've gone for a proper team, a team which looks balanced and it will do the job."
Didier Drogba
The scourge of many a Liverpool team, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will lead Carragher's line. With the exception of the coveted Europa League, the Ivorian has won everything there is in the game including, most recently, the Africa Cup of Nations with his country and the Capital One Cup with his club.
Dirk Kuyt (UPDATE: injured and unlikely to play)
Kuyt will bring the tireless work ethic to the charity game just as he has to his entire footballing career. Adored by Liverpool fans, including Carragher himself, Kuyt made more than 200 appearances for the Reds over a six-year period and scored more than 50 goals during that time.
Craig Bellamy
The recently retired former Wales captain enjoyed two spells at Liverpool, during which he made more than 50 appearances and scored 13 goals. He started his career off with a Community Shield triumph in 2006 before he was part of the side which defeated his hometown club Cardiff City in the League Cup final of 2011.
Watch Gerrard and Carragher discuss their line-ups for the match