Liverpool legend missing from Anfield match could be set for huge role in club’s future

Liverpool legend missing from Anfield match could be set for huge role in club’s future

Liverpool legends were back in force at Anfield – but one man was conspicuous by his absence

 

Liverpool legends line up before the LFC Foundation charity match between Liverpool FC Legends and AFC Ajax Legends at Anfield on

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Fernando Torres was the star attraction as he made a belated Liverpool Legends debut in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Ajax.

The Spaniard had originally been scheduled to play in the 2020 iteration of the annual charity match against Barcelona, only for it to be postponed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, supporters have had to wait a further four years to see ‘El Nino’ make his Anfield return.

Pulling on the famous Reds jersey at Anfield for the first time in over 13 years, the 40-year-old marked the occasion in style as he gave the crowd what they came for by scoring the Legends’ fourth goal late on in front of the Kop. It wasn’t pretty, scrambling home Mark Gonzalez’s low cross from close-range, but neither player nor fanbase cared, seeing as it seemed that a goal would remain elusive for the striker after he missed chance after chance throughout the afternoon.

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He would admit after the game that one point he feared such a goal would not come, before suggesting he would like to return to Anfield again in next year’s Legends match.

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“I always have the hope to do it (score),” he said. ”These things take time, scoring for Liverpool is a big thing.

“I tried many times, I couldn’t do it. I did in the end and I was happy. I just wanted to score in my first Liverpool game after many years. I did it!

“It’s the first time I’ve been back since I finished football five years ago. I’m not fit, trust me. I’ll do my best to train every day and come again next season, and come back a little bit better.”

Of course, such a return will depend on Torres’ coaching commitments with the striker now enjoying his third season in charge of Atletico Madrid Under-19s.

“It’s the first time I can come because normally I am coaching and cannot find the time so I was really looking forward to it,” he admitted over the course of the weekend. “I’ve been lucky enough to be invited many times from the foundation to play that match.

“But for different reasons, I couldn’t go. And now that I’m coaching, it’s more difficult to find gaps in the calendar to be able to go. I could manage to go this time.”

Of course, he isn’t the only former Red now in management, with such commitments often dictating whether they can participate for the Legends or not.

Gregory Vignal, Igor Biscan, Daniel Agger, and Sami Hyypia have all managed in the past but are currently unemployed, though the Dane did return to face Barcelona in 2022 during his managerial stint with HB Koge.

Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt also both played, with the pair currently in charge of Al-Ettifaq and Beerschot respectively.

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Gerrard is a Legends regular, of course, and has played for Liverpool’s veterans while in charge of both Rangers and Aston Villa. However, he sat out both 2022 editions of the game against Manchester United, with the Anfield leg in September coming at a time when the Villains were struggling in the Premier League table.

He would be sacked barely a month later, before, when unemployed, returning to score in the 2023 annual legends match against Celtic the following March.

It was in stark contrast to when he featured for both the Reds and Rangers at Ibrox in October 2019, at a time when he was considered one of the favourites to be the next Liverpool manager when the time comes. Such talk has now all but evaporated, following his Villa sacking and move to Saudi Arabia, with another club legend instead emerging in his place.

All but one of the Legends’ starting XI against Ajax (Bjorn Tore Kvarme) played for Rafa Benitez during their Liverpool careers. Even looking at the bench, only Sander Westerveld, Vignal and Jari Litmanen pre-dated the Spaniard.

As a result, the bulk of Benitez’s ‘all-star squad’, that most memorably nearly won the Premier League in 2009, were in action against the Dutch giants on Saturday, including Gerrard, Torres, Kuyt, Agger, Hyypia, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio, and Ryan Babel.

There were some well-loved absentees too though, of course. Jamie Carragher hasn’t played for Liverpool Legends at Anfield since March 2022, when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona, while Lucas Leiva understandably hasn’t featured since retiring last year because of a heart condition.

Pepe Reina is still an active player of course, playing for Villarreal at 41 years of age, while Javier Mascherano is never going to be able to return while in his current position as Argentina Under-20s manager. And despite being named in the 2022 squad to face Manchester United, Alvaro Arbeloa missed that match and is yet to make his Legends debut as he continues to manage Real Madrid’s youth sides.

But there was one other legend who was most conspicuous by his absence – Xabi Alonso.

The Spaniard has played in two of the LFC Foundation’s annual charity matches before, featuring for both sides when the Legends faced Bayern Munich in 2018, having only retired the previous summer, before captaining the Reds when they defeated Manchester United in September 2022 – having stepped down as Real Sociedad B manager the previous May.

Taking over as Bayer Leverkusen just weeks after facing United, in truth it would have been a surprise if he had returned. He did not feature last March against Celtic for after all, having led his side to a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich the week before as they moved up to eighth in the Bundesliga table.

Also through to the Europa League quarter-finals, it marked a remarkable turnaround considering Leverkusen were second from bottom in the table off the back of a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Bayern when Alonso took over. But this year, he has taken it to a whole new level entirely with his side continuing to get the better of the Bavarians.

Leverkusen, who have never previously won the Bundesliga, are currently enjoying an unbeaten season and boast a 10-point lead over Bayern at the top of the table with eight games left to play. Should they finish the season as champions, Alonso will become the first manager to stop the German giants winning the league since Jurgen Klopp with Borussia Dortmund in 2011/12.

But that’s not all Leverkusen have still to play for. with a DFB-Pokal semi-final clash with Fortuna Dusseldorf and Europa League quarter-final against West Ham United looming, as Alonso prepares to make his first return to England as a manager. Should he side go all the way in the tournament, they could end up facing Liverpool in the final in Dublin on May 22.

Such commitments are of course enough to excuse him from accepting a Legends call-up, but that will likely not be the only reason behind his absence. He remains one of the favourites to replace Klopp as Reds manager in the summer, after all.

Any Anfield return on this occasion would have been accompanied by mass speculation. It was best for Alonso, Liverpool, and Leverkusen that, this time, the Spaniard stayed away. It was unnecessary, added attention that all of them would gladly do without. In such circumstances, it was inevitable that he was never going to line up at Anfield.

Of course, it is not a sure-gone thing that Alonso even replaces Klopp. The Reds aren’t the only side chasing his signature, with German media convinced he is Bayern Munich-bound. Reports elsewhere suggest Real Madrid also want to lure him back to the Bernabeu when Carlo Ancelotti’s contract expires in 2026, with such a notion perhaps working alongside Leverkusen’s public declarations that they don’t expect to lose him, though of course they would say that.

Liverpool have their own reasons to be hopeful too though, should their former manager prove to their first-choice as successor to Klopp. New sporting director Richard Hughes already boasts a working relationship with Alonso’s representatives, having hired Andoni Iraola – another one of their clients – at AFC Bournemouth last summer.

Either way, with Klopp himself going as far as to suggest Alonso is the hottest property in management at the moment, it will be fascinating to see what the Spaniard decides to do in the summer.

Such a sentiment is shared by Torres too, after he waxed lyrical about his former team-mate’s managerial credentials after scoring for Liverpool Legends.

“I think he’s doing great, fantastic player and he is already a fantastic manager,” he said. “He’s a really nice guy, I’ve got a nice friendship with him and I hope for him all the best.

“We have seen in the Sociedad academy he is doing really good things, now you can see he has become one of the best managers in the world. He’s having a fantastic season, not losing a single game and the future is bright for him.”

But will that future be at Anfield? While he might have missed Liverpool Legends action for the second year running due to his managerial commitment with Bayer Leverkusen, perhaps it will be different for next year’s annual charity match. Torres might not be the only Spaniard lined up for another return.

Should Alonso pull on the famous Reds jersey again in 2025, you would not be surprised if he was doing so as Liverpool manager.

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VAR Report Card: Man Utd worst hit, Arsenal and Liverpool have genuine complaints, and more | OneFootball

Football Today

·
7 November 2023

VAR REPORT CARD: MAN UTD WORST HIT, ARSENAL AND LIVERPOOL HAVE GENUINE COMPLAINTS, AND MORE
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The 2023/24 Premier League season has been filled with VAR drama and contentious decisions, leaving fans and clubs in a constant state of debate.

ESPN has compiled a substantial portion of this season’s VAR decisions, and the statistics reveal that clubs have experienced contrasting outcomes from these referee calls.

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Let’s delve into how VAR decisions have impacted 15 of the 20 Premier League clubs this season.

Arsenal
Arsenal’s VAR decisions have seen six overturns – the joint most in the league – with two leading to goals for them and one disallowed.

They have also conceded a goal and had one disallowed for their opponents from VAR calls.

VAR decisions have also seen Arsenal awarded two penalties while having a penalty call go against them once.

Aston Villa
Aston Villa have experienced two VAR overturns, with one disallowed goal and another leading to a goal for the Villans, balancing their overall impact to a net goal score of zero.

However, they’ve also had a VAR decision rejected, with the on-field referee handing Unai Emery’s side a penalty, penalising Chris Richards for a foul on Ollie Watkins in the dying embers of the game.

Brentford
Brentford have seen two VAR overturns, both in their favour, leading to a goal being scored from the penalty spot.

The Bees were awarded a penalty in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, with Heung-min Son penalised for a foul on Mathias Jensen.

They also had a penalty decision overturned in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United after Bryan Mbeumo was initially adjudged to have handled the ball in the 18-yard area.

Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion have had two VAR overturns, with one disallowed goal for them and one disallowed goal for their opponents.

These VAR decisions have led to an even balance of net goals scored and a net subjective score of zero each.

Burnley
Newly promoted Burnley are one of the sides heavily affected by VAR this season, having encountered four overturns, with one disallowed goal and one disallowed for their opponents.

They’ve had one subjective decision go their way and three against them, including two red cards to Anass Zaroury and Lyle Foster, contributing to a net goal score of zero and a net subjective score of -2.

Chelsea
Chelsea have also been heavily influenced by VAR decisions, experiencing five overturns, including one which led to a goal for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The Blues have also seen a goal disallowed each for them and their opponents, resulting in a net goal score of +1. They’ve been awarded one penalty and had one red card.

Pochettino’s side also saw a goal overturned in the 4-1 win over Tottenham, with Moises Caicedo’s long-range effort ruled out for offside.

Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have witnessed two VAR overturns, with both forcing the Eagles to concede with one subjective decision going against them.

They’ve also seen an overturn rejected by the on-field referee, resulting in a net goal score of -1 and a net subjective score of -1.

Everton
Everton have seen three VAR overturns, with one leading to a goal for their opponents and two disallowed goals for their opponents.

They have a net subjective score of -1, indicating that VAR decisions have mainly benefited them with a net goal score of +1.

Fulham
Fulham have barely been affected by VAR drama according to the statistics, with just one overturn which has gone in their favour.

Their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United saw Scott McTominay’s eighth-minute opener disallowed for offside against Harry Maguire.

Liverpool
Liverpool’s rift with VAR this season is well documented, with the Reds encountering the second-highest number of overturns (five) this season.

The decisions have led to a goal for them, and two of their strikes were disallowed. VAR has also denied their opponents a goal once.

However, they’ve had a subjective VAR decision against them, balancing their impact to a net goal score of zero. Liverpool has been awarded one penalty and had one red card.

The notable decision which went against Liverpool saw Luis Diaz’s goal against Tottenham Hotspur incorrectly ruled out for offside, resulting in a defeat for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Manchester City
Manchester City have had two VAR overturns in their favour, one leading to a goal being scored and the other a red card for their opponents.

They’ve also been awarded a penalty, leading to a net goal score of +1 and a net subjective score of +2.

Manchester United
Man United have seen the joint most overturns, with the bulk of the calls going against them, including a penalty decision in the defeat to Man City.

The VAR overturns have led to four disallowed goals for Erik ten Hag’s side, with one subjective decision going their way and three against them.

This has significantly impacted their season, resulting in a net goal score of -5 and a net subjective score of -2.

Newcastle United
Newcastle have encountered two VAR overturns, with one leading to a goal for them, resulting in a net goal score of +1.

However, they’ve had a subjective VAR decision against them, impacting their net subjective score negatively to -1.

Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest appear to be on VAR’s good side this season, experiencing three overturns, with two subjective decisions in their favour.

While they haven’t directly benefited with goals from those decisions, they’ve seen two disallowed goals and a red card for their opponents.

These favourable VAR decisions have contributed to a net goal score of +2 and a net subjective score of +2.

Sheffield United
Sheffield United have had just one VAR overturn leading to a goal against them, contributing to a net goal score of -1.

The Blades were penalised in the 84th minute of their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal when Oliver Norwood was deemed to have fouled Fabio Vieira in the 18-yard area.

Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham have seen four VAR overturns, leading to two goals against them, including one from the penalty spot.

They had a red card decision go in their favour when Curtis Jones was handed his marching orders for serious foul play against Yves Bissouma in the controversial fixture.

They’ve had one subjective VAR decision in their favour and two against them, impacting their net subjective score negatively to -1.

They’ve also conceded two penalties, leading to a net goal score of -2.

VAR disallowed Moises Caicedo’s goal in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea but further review saw a penalty awarded against Spurs.

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Sean Highdale, Liverpool
Rebuilding Sean Highdale
James Pearce
Sep 6, 2020
49

Sean Highdale should be in his prime as a footballer. At the age of 29 he should be fulfilling the rich potential that lit up the fields of Liverpool’s Kirkby academy during his formative years.

But rather than preparing for the new season, he’s working on his next property deal. These days, he’s a successful businessman and an Anfield season-ticket holder. He hung up his boots a few years ago after a spell with Aigburth People’s Hall in the Liverpool County Premier League.

His story is an extraordinary one. The fact he’s even alive to tell it is nothing short of miraculous.

Highdale, who grew up in the Halewood area of Liverpool, was a combative midfielder and captain of Liverpool under-18s. He was part of the squad who won the FA Youth Cup in 2007 and a highly-rated England youth international, where he shone alongside Jack Wilshere. He dreamed of following in the footsteps of his hero, Steven Gerrard.

He signed professionally for Liverpool when he turned 17 in March 2008 and the following month he was informed that he was being promoted from Kirkby to Melwood to train with Gary Ablett’s reserve squad ahead of the 2008-09 season.

“I was buzzing. I felt like I was on top of the world,” he tells The Athletic.

Within 24 hours he had come tumbling down.

A horrific car crash, in which two of his close friends died, left him in a coma and with life-changing injuries.

“I had a bleed on my brain, I broke my ankle, I broke my neck, I had to have a kidney removed and I dislocated my right knee, snapping three of the four main ligaments. I was in a bad way,” he says, matter-of-factly.

Highdale in hospital after the horrific crash in which two of his friends died
Medical staff told him to forget about ever playing football again. What followed is testament to the power of human resilience.

“As a little kid, I was always a mad Red. It runs in the family,” Highdale tells me as he sips a cappuccino in the Milo Lounge cafe on Lark Lane in south Liverpool.

Over the course of an hour and a half. he’s engaging company. Lean and tanned following a recent holiday in Spain, he looks like a footballer in his jeans and designer T-shirt.

“I grew up just off Macket’s Lane, between Halewood and Hunts Cross. I only ever wanted to play for Liverpool. I remember jumping up and down on the couch at home when I was told that I had a trial. I was seven and I was so made up,” he smiles.

“I played for Huntswood on Saturdays and Country Park (Trent Alexander-Arnold’s former junior club) on Sundays. I trained with Liverpool through to the age of nine, when we all found out whether we were getting signed or not.

“Initially, I didn’t get taken on but then a few months later Liverpool got in touch with my family to say they had made a mistake and asked me to come back. I signed straight away. I was there from then right up through to the under-18s.

“Back then, when you signed as a pro, the scout who spotted you initially got a bit of money. There was a bit of conflict with a few people trying to claim me but it was definitely Arthur Edwards, who sadly passed away earlier this year. He was a legend in the area in terms of scouting.”

Highdale wasn’t short of positive influences. Kop icon Steve Heighway was running Liverpool’s academy and was assisted by coaches of the calibre of Hughie McAuley and Dave Shannon. They had helped develop the likes of Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, David Thompson, Dominic Matteo and Steve McManaman.

His dad Derek, a hod carrier in the building industry, was always on his case — ensuring Sean applied himself and made the most of the opportunities that came his way.

“He’s been the biggest influence on my whole life,” Highdale says. “‘Degsy’, as people know him, was a good footballer himself. He played in the Welsh Premier League for Bangor City. He knows his stuff.

“When it was freezing cold, he was the one getting me out on that field and motivating me, making sure I was fit and raring to go. My dad can’t drive, so it was my mum who was always taking me to training and back home again. She couldn’t drive herself until I was 10 or 11, so we used to get the bus together. They made a lot of sacrifices for me.

“At the end of every season at the academy we’d get the chance to play on the pitch at Anfield, and one year Steven Gerrard was there to give out the certificates. He was always my hero and he still is. He’s the only person in this world who I’m kind of in awe of.

“As a kid, I used to play a lot in the No 10 position. I wasn’t a big tackler, I had little twinkle toes and would create chances for others. That was my game until I was about 14.

“Then we played Man City away and I was up against Kieran Trippier in centre midfield. Me and him used to have some good battles. This one got a bit feisty. I went in for this big tackle, won the ball and the Liverpool fans there watching loved it. I got the bug for getting stuck in after that.

“My position changed. I dropped deeper and became a lot more physical. I loved getting on the ball and dictating play. Lads like Nathan Eccleston, David Amoo and Alex Kacaniklic were in my age group. Sometimes I’d play up a year or two with players like Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing.

“When I was about 15, I missed a season due to a stress fracture in my back. I played with it for a while. The kind of player I was, I didn’t want to tell anyone I was struggling but gradually it got worse and worse. I came back strong from that.”

So strong in fact that he was picked to play for Kenny Swain’s England Under-16s in the Victory Shield in the autumn of 2006. The following April he would have become the first Liverpool player to grace the pitch at the new Wembley Stadium but missed the international against Spain because it clashed with the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United.

Highdale relished his youth battles with players such as current England international Trippier (Photo: Barrington Coombs – PA Images via Getty Images)
“We won the Victory Shield by beating Scotland in our final game and I got the assist for Nathan Delfouneso’s winner with a mis-hit volley,” he laughs. “We had a decent team, with Jack Wilshere, Jack Rodwell and Oliver Norwood in there too. In training, Wilshere was just on another level to everyone else. He was quality.

“I was in the England squad to face Spain just after Wembley reopened but the following day it was the FA Youth Cup final. Steve Heighway called me into his office and said, ‘You’ve got a massive part to play with me.’

“I understood, as it was Man United in the second leg at Old Trafford. But in the end I was an unused sub as we won on penalties, so that was a bit gutting. I was only 16, so I was young to be involved in the FA Youth Cup squad at that stage.”

An overhaul at Kirkby in the summer of 2007 saw Heighway depart and Dutchman Piet Hamberg brought in as academy technical director. Over the course of 2007-08, Highdale flourished and was given the under-18s captaincy by McAuley.

He came up against current Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup in February 2008. Henderson’s Sunderland triumphed 5-3, after extra time, at the Stadium of Light.

“I’ve still got the DVDs of all the games that season,” Highdale says. “I remember Henderson was playing on the right of midfield. That turned out to be the last time I ever played in the Youth Cup.

“We’d have team meetings after training when the coaches would run through what we’d done right and wrong. I’d always ask Hughie if I could take a copy of the DVD home so I could analyse it myself.

“I’m glad I did that as they’re nice to have. A while back I walked into the house and my dad was sat there watching one of my old games. It was pretty sad in a way. I know what it would have meant to him if things had turned out differently for me. Just before the accident, that was the best football I ever played. Every game, I felt like the best player on the pitch.”

Then came Sunday, April 6, 2008, the fateful day that changed his life forever.

On the Saturday, Highdale had played with a swagger for Liverpool Under-18s against Derby County’s at Kirkby. His future looked incredibly bright.

“Before we played Derby, Hughie called me in, along with Nathan Eccleston and Steven Irwin, and told us that we would be moving up to the reserves at Melwood for the following season,” he says.

“I was so happy. It was a big step forward. It was what I’d been working towards. Back then, you usually did a two-year YTS and then you turned pro, but after the first year Liverpool said they wanted me to sign professionally when I turned 17. The timing of that turned out to be very lucky for me. The contract meant I had the security of getting paid.”

The players were given the Sunday off and Highdale decided to go to the cinema with his mates.

“We were going to get the train from Hunts Cross into town but when we went around to the station all the trains were on strike so we walked back,” he recalls.

“My mate Kalam had passed his test a few weeks before, so he said he would drive us instead. From that moment I got into the car, I can’t remember anything. The next thing I remember is waking up in hosp