Remember watching Masters Football on your televisions? Well, it’s back in England and a group of former Liverpool players are among those competing.
Masters Football was a staple of the Sky Sports TV diet in the early 2000s, as legends went head to head in six-a-side indoor tournaments.
Now the competition is back, live on BBC iPlayer, and Liverpool’s side will take on iconic players from Man City, Man United and Everton.
Hosted at the AO Arena, Manchester, this Friday evening (September 5), ex-Liverpool players Sander Westerveld, Jon Flanagan, Martin Kelly, Jermaine Pennant, David Thompson, Djibril Cisse, Stewart Downing and Emile Heskey are to represent the Reds.
Emile Heskey celebrates scoring Liverpool's first goal against Everton during the Premiership clash at Goodison Park. 2001 ( David Davies/PA Archive/PA Images)
Liverpool Masters last competed three years ago, against Man United, Celtic and Rangers, but the coming Manchester event is the first held in England with four English teams for 15 years.
The eight ex-Reds set to take part have a combined 746 Liverpool appearances and 101 goals, 60 of which were scored by Heskey.
The striker won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups in his four-and-a-half years at Anfield, before teammate Cisse lifted the Champions League in 2005.
Teams and confirmed players
Liverpool Masters: Sander Westerveld, Jon Flanagan, Martin Kelly, Jermaine Pennant, David Thompson, Djibril Cisse, Stewart Downing, Emile Heskey
Man United Masters: Paul Rachubka, Wes Brown, Phil Bardsley, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Darron Gibson, Chris Eagles, Louis Saha, Danny Webber
Man City Masters: David James, Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onuoha, Kevin Horlock, Michael Brown, Martin Petrov, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ishmael Miller
Everton Masters: Carlo Nash, Ashley Williams, Peter Clarke, Dan Gosling, James Vaughan, Yakubu, Marcus Bent
The teams will all play each other in 14-minute matches, with the two highest-placed finishers in the round-robin phase playing each other in the final.
Rolling subs are allowed and informational boards around the pitch make for quick-paced action that all ages can enjoy.
In the past, Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena has hosted Masters Football, with the likes of Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler previously playing for the Reds.
CEO Steve Black said: “Masters Football is a simple, enjoyable night out [with] quick games, big names, and proper rivalry under one roof.
“These four teams have huge history and even bigger bragging rights, so [the] AO Arena should be lively.”
Tickets for Masters Football in Manchester are available here.