Liverpool defender set for exit

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all? According to Mirror, Liverpool defender, Martin Skrtel admits he may consider quitting Liverpool after what he calls the worst season of his Anfield career.

Centre-back Skrtel says it “bugged him” when he was dropped to the bench by boss Brendan Rodgers in favour of Jamie Carragher for the second half of the season.

The Slovakia international feels unsettled, despite signing a new contract last August, and, with Rodgers shopping for new defenders, says he would listen to any offers from other clubs this summer.

In an interview given in his homeland, the 28-year-old said: “I have not had any specific offers. But if some should come and they interest me, I would probably consider it seriously.

“The club has the biggest say in this in any case, with me being contracted.

“I’m not saying that I want to leave at any cost.

“I feel sorry for what happened in this season. But I have been here for five-and-a-half years and I have built a position here.”

Skrtel says it hurt when Rodgers dropped him after the shock FA Cup defeat at Oldham because the Irishman said he needed more leadership at the back.

“After the game, the coach decided he wanted to change the team and justified to me that we lacked the organisation and defensive leadership personality,” he said.

“That was Carragher. Obviously I was not happy, it bugged me.

“On the other hand, I realise that only 11 can play and the 11 the coach chooses now is without me.

“I decided to add even more in training, so I was ready for a chance to show that I belong on the field, and not on the bench.”

Source: Mirror

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club or Red's Fury™ blog.

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Don’t write off Dortmund yet by Jamie Carragher #thankscarra

Which position would you rather be in heading into the Champions League final?

Would you side with Bayern Munich? They won the German league by a  distance, conquered all before them this season and go into this defining match as odds-on favourites. There aren’t too many people who can  envisage them being beaten.

Or would you choose Borussia Dortmund? Jurgen Klopp’s side have not managed to win a domestic trophy... and finished 25 points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga. It all points to the Wembley showdown being one-sided, doesn’t it? Well, not in my view.

This could be one of the closest finals we have seen in recent years and Dortmund are not the 7-2 shots that bookmakers suggest. If anything, Bayern will be the more apprehensive of the two sides. They, after all, have everything to lose. Dortmund have it all to gain.

Dortmund are in a similar position to the one we experienced with Liverpool on this day exactly eight years ago.

Nobody gave us a chance of beating AC Milan in Istanbul, so that meant we could enjoy the occasion. Winning the biggest trophy in club football went beyond our wildest dreams.

Bayern, in contrast, will in some ways be dreading this match as the pressure on them is immense.
Dortmund have had the edge in recent years — they are undefeated in the past six Bundesliga games and secured last year’s German Cup with a 5-2 win. Bayern, meanwhile, have lost two of the past three Champions League finals.

Having that sequence extended to three out of four would be a major embarrassment.

Bayern Munich are THE club in Germany and to lose the prize they crave most to a team from their own country would be a savage blow to their esteem.

I have been greatly impressed by Dortmund this year. For a retirement present, I was treated by a few Liverpool players to a trip to the Bernabeu earlier this month to watch the second leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid, and the vantage point we had was perfect to see everything at which Dortmund excel.

They have incredible pace, intensity and quality — I read a superb magazine article on Klopp earlier this year and the thing I took from it was how much he wants his players to run — and they swarmed all over Madrid, to the extent that Jose Mourinho had to substitute Xabi Alonso to deal with it.

In Marco Reus, they have a player who — in my opinion — has only been outperformed in the Champions League this year by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It has been said Mario Gotze’s thigh injury will damage Dortmund’s chances, but losing Reus would have been a significantly worse headache for Klopp.

Gotze was spotted looking at property in Munich, ahead of his move there next season, and the reaction to him has not been good from Dortmund supporters. Would his head have been in the right place for this game? His absence may now work in his side’s favour.

As big a fan as I am of Dortmund, however, Bayern’s claims are there for all to see. Myself and Dietmar Hamann, who used to play for them, began calling Bayern ‘The Grinders’ a few years ago because they always get the job done.

They have incredible mental strength and to come back from the disappointment they endured 12 months ago — losing to Chelsea in front of their own fans — is a notable achievement. Some teams may never have got over such a defeat.

Given that Pep Guardiola is  taking over as manager next season and the way they have spent — they have paid out more than £100million in the past two summers, compared to Dortmund, who have spent in the region of £30m — you can see why it is being said they are on the verge of dominating  European football.

Let’s not think, however, that Germany is significantly ahead of all the other leagues.

Yes, it is very good, but it reminds me of the way the Premier League was five years ago — big, strong sides that can press with great intensity but have the skill to match. However, had it not been for a linesman’s mistake in the quarter-finals, Spain would have had three teams in the last four of the Champions League. I believe the two best teams in the competition will contest the final but Dortmund came perilously close to losing to Malaga in the last eight.

Bayern, on the other hand, have made relentless progress through the competition and the way they demolished Barcelona in the semi-finals was exceptional.

I don’t think they touched the ball in the first 15 minutes of the first leg but kept their composure and  then ran Barcelona into the ground. There should not, though, be such a discrepancy in the way the  respective chances of each side are viewed.

Bayern have strength in depth and are slight favourites but Dortmund have had their measure in recent times  — and you wouldn’t bet against them doing it one more time.

Source: Mail Online

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Video: Watch Kenny Dalglish, Gerrard and Carragher on the FA Cup Final

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish says he would be more satisfied by winning two cups than being fifth in the league.

  

Source: IndySportsNewsTV

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Rumour Mill: Liverpool want Newcastle defender

Liverpool are eyeing up Newcastle's poodle-permed defensive tyrant Fabricio Coloccini and could make a new year move for the 29-year-old. And given the way their last January swoop for a Newcastle player worked out, who could blame them for attempting a repeat?

It is believed that director of football Damien Comolli personally scouted the 29-year-old Newcastle defender recently. The Argentine international will be out of contract at the end of the season. Liverpool can buy him outright in January or sign him to a pre-contract anytime after January 1st.

Coloccini has become one of the better defenders in the Premier League and Dalglish is looking to strengthen in that department now 33-year-old Jamie Carragher is officially at the veteran stage.

However, Dalglish is not afraid to spend to back his judgement and Newcastle could be pushed to sell if the offer is large enough or the player fancies the move.

Dalglish already has a handful of centre-halves in his squad, but is always on the look-out for improvement.

Newcastle would consider accepting a bid in the £6 million region. It would love to keep its star defender, after such a promising start to the current campaign. The Magpies are fourth in the league and dreaming of a place in one of next season's European competitions.

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

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My Favourite Liverpool Players

I just thought I would write an article on some of the players that have been favourites of mine over the years. There has been so many since I started supporting this great club since about 1982. Everybody has their own favourites and I hope you can relate to some of mine. This is my list of players in no particular order.

Kenny Dalglish – Well I think he is most supporters’ favourite, and he is the reason I started supporting Liverpool. He was just an amazing player, I loved the way he shielded the ball from defenders and his vision and passing was just the best. For not being the quickest he certainly made up for it with his brain thinking quicker than anybody else. A great finisher too, where he never seemed to blast a shot, he always placed his shot, usually in spectacular fashion.

Ian Rush – Probably the greatest finisher our club has seen, amazing goal scoring record. Rush and Dalglish formed a lethal partnership in the 80’s. Rush had great speed which took him into goal scoring positions, but his work rate was unbelievable as he complimented Liverpool’s style of play by defending from the front.

Graeme Souness – A great player and captain of the club who had so much ability with an arrogance about him as he strutted about the midfield like a general marshalling his troops. A terrific passer of the ball and not frightened to put the boot in if things got tough. Nobody got the better of Souness if things got physical. A true Liverpool great.

Mark Lawrenson – I honestly thought he was the best defender in the world at the time when he played with us. He was such a great defender who read the game so well and was a superb tackler. Lawrenson had tremendous speed which helped him retrieve so many situations. He was also very good at springing an attack and venturing forward. I would put Lawrenson as my favourite defender.

Alan Hansen – A terrific defender and servant to the club eventually captaining the team to glory. Hansen always looked so casual and under control of the situation. A brilliant reader of the game and the best defender I have seen at bringing the ball out from defence, he started so many attacks for Liverpool with his great ability. Another Liverpool legend.

Phil Neal – A great servant who won more trophies than any other player in our history. But I thought he was such an under rated defender and was so good at going forward. Hardly ever missed a game, holds the record for most consecutive games for the Reds, Mr. Consistency.

Bruce Grobbelaar – A great keeper who could also entertain, sometimes ending up with an odd mistake. But loved by the Kop and he could save the unsavable with his amazing agility. The first keeper I noticed that could spring an attack with his quick release from hand or foot. Great memories highlighted by his antics in Rome.

John Barnes- Second only to Kenny as my favourite player of all time, in his prime he was amazing with his speed and control tying defenders in knots before scoring spectacular goals. Created so many chances with his creative play from the wing and also when he played more central. Had to change his game later in his career after injury reduced his speed, he enjoyed a new role in the centre of midfield in which he thrived on spraying passes around and rarely losing possession.

Steve McMahon – I know he played with Everton but he turned out to be a great player for us, I loved his energy and drive he showed in the midfield, he could weigh in with a few goals too. He was an important player for us in the engine room of that great side of the eighties.

John Aldridge – A great striker who lived out his dream by signing for Liverpool. Slotted into the side with ease with the likes of Barnes, Beardsley and Houghton signing around the same time. Aldridge thrived on the attacking style of the team and was a fans’ favourite.

Steve McManaman – A tremendously talented player with great dribbling ability. I loved it when he went on one of his dribbles. His goals always seemed spectacular. Sorry when he left us, but I was still pleased for him with the success he enjoyed at Madrid.

Robbie Fowler – I’m sure he is on every supporters list. One of the greatest finishers ever. He such an ability for scoring goals, he could score goals from anywhere. Should have won many more England caps. It was great to see him return to us for a second spell. He will always be remembered fondly at Liverpool.

Sami Hyypia – A classy defender who was a great servant. A great reader of the game, not the quickest but great positional sense. Sami was also dominant in the air and could weigh in with a few goals.

Gary McAllister – Came to the club in the twilight of his career, and what an impact he made. In my view he was the player of the season in our famous treble winning season of 2001. He was so instrumental and what about that goal against Everton . Wish we had him here longer.

Jamie Carragher – I just love him for his attitude and desire to win. Jamie has been a great servant to the club and long may he continue. He has been so important for us playing in various positions over the years, but always gives 100% and puts his body on the line for the team.

Steven Gerrard – A superb player, all time great. Has carried this team for years. Who can forget his rallying cry after scoring in Istanbul, then the amazing FA Cup final against West Ham which once again dragged us from the clutches of defeat. Gerrard showed his commitment to the club when Chelsea looked to sign him. I only put Kenny and John Barnes ahead of him.

Luis Suarez – I have to put him on my list already, such an impact he has made in such a short space of time. Such ability and his work rate is unbelievable. Suarez is loved already by the Kop. Such an exciting player.

These are the players that have stood out for me over the years. I’m sure I’ll add to this list in the future as the future is looking bright.

Written by Jamie McLaughlin, who blogs at The Liverword

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Get off Jamie ‘The Stalwart’ Carragher’s back

Football fans and critics have a very short memory. Opinions that stem out of this memory also lack rationality and border baseless criticism.

Since the last three years,Jamie has been getting a lot of stick for his lack of defending. As a Liverpool fan, my reflex is to defend one of the greatest players to have ever played for the club. But it’s not only about the bias.

Every defender has a bad game. Footballers go through lean spells but world-class footballers put in that one performance that silences their critics. And Jamie did just that in the Merseyside derby.

Jamie Carragher undoubtedly has lost some pace but his astute reading of the game has not deteriorated one bit. On a sunny, pressure-packed afternoon, Jamie Carragher stamped his class at Goodison Park. Tim Cahill has an effective aerial prowess and scores headers with ease in the league. Carragher won almost every aerial ball against Cahill. Everton were a depleted side after the sending-off but it’s always harder playing against 10 men and Carragher effectively killed off, the unpredictable Luis Saha’s game with his incisive tackling. He did not put a single foot wrong.

Carragher’s verbose organizing skills often go unsung. You rarely see a mix-up between the goalkeeper and the defence. Carragher plays every game with his heart on his sleeve and is still one of the first names on that team sheet.

Within the England setup, Jamie Carragher is under-rated. He is no less than John Terry and as effective as Rio Ferdinand (if not better). In my opinion, he did not get enough games to prove his mettle. This fact being emphasized by Fabio Capello persuading him to come out of retirement. What has instigated me is the fact that even Liverpool fans have been questioning his abilities. His last-ditch tackles have saved countless games for Liverpool.

Lets rewind Liverpool fans , If Jamie Carragher can out-wit and out-fight Andriy Shevchenko in a European Final with a strained muscle, he deserves more than ‘Carra’s getting old’. He has been found wanting in a lot of games, he drops too deep,he doesn’t get forward too often, doesn’t score too many goals but he had Fernando Torres in his pocket at Stamford Bridge , the same Fernando Torres who walked all over Nemanja Vidic (arguably, the best defender in the league) at Old Trafford.

Do not write him off yet.

Jamie Carragher can defend, just ask Rigobert Song and the AC Milan squad of 2005/2006.

Written by Mayank Adhye, who blogs at The Musical Escapade and also a Reds supporter.

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Jamie Carragher career may ends soon

Liverpool's vice-captain Jamie Carragher has admitted his career could be over in a year's time.

Carragher has made 676 appearances for Liverpool since coming through the youth ranks and making his debut 14 years ago.

He has been a regular in the Reds defence since coming on as a substitute in Liverpool's League Cup game against Middlesbrough in 1997, but the 33-year-old concedes his long and glittering career may be nearing its end.

When asked how long he had left in the game, Carragher told the Leaders in Football conference in London: "Ask (Liverpool boss) Kenny (Dalglish). He picks the team. It will be up to the coaching staff I suppose.

"You want to try to get as much out of your career and play as long as possible.

"The time will come in the next 12, 18 months, maybe two years.

"That won't be down to myself. It will be down to the people around me, the staff, the manager. They will decide."

Carragher's full-blooded displays at the heart of the Liverpool defence have earned him many plaudits during his career and his leadership skills have seen him touted as a future Reds boss.

The defender admits he would love to go in to coaching after hanging up his boots.

"Do I want to go in to coaching or management? Yes, I think so," Carragher said.

"I've taken my first steps to coaching and the B licence.

"We all love the game, you want to stay involved in the game."

Carragher made morning headlines when he claimed that England are "cheating" by employing a foreign coach as their national manager.

The defender insisted this evening that his claim should not be viewed as an attack on England boss Fabio Capello, but more of a plea for placing trust in home-grown coaches, and he even claimed that every part of the national football set-up should be English.

"It's nothing against Capello or anybody who comes in in the future," Carragher added.

"It's nothing against foreign players or coaches. I just think that's what international football should be about.

"For me we shouldn't have a foreign member of staff. The best doctor in the country should be the England doctor or the bus driver. That's what international football is.

"If we're not up to it in certain areas we have to improve."

Carragher also thinks the presence of foreigners is impeding the development of young English players.

The defender has hit out at the Premier League for not protecting the home-grown youngsters coming through the ranks.

"Everyone wants to play in the Premier League now. Players at our academy don't get a chance," he said.

"Our academies are not just full of local players. They are full of foreign players too.

"That's a bit of a problem for me.

"I think no foreign players should leave their country until 18 or maybe 21 and I think I think the academies should be for local players.

Former England and Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes claimed recently that the England camp had been divided into Manchester United and Liverpool cliques during his time on the international scene.

Carragher, who was a member of the squad at the same time as the retired Red Devils player, agreed, saying: "I saw that.

"I don't think it was Man United and Liverpool. It was more Man United and the rest.

"They'd all grown up together those Man United players. They had been in youth teams together. They would always sit together at meal times.

"It was just like the five best mates together.

"They'd all come through together. It was a tight-knit thing. They were best mates. They had a great youth team. It was more of a case of that.

"There were that many of them. They had such a good team. They probably had seven or eight in the squad at the same time.

"It was probably difficult for anyone to break into that little group and get to know them."

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Source: ESPN Star

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Rumour Mill: Liverpool gearing up for a defender swoop

Kenny Dalglish is working hard to shipped out the deadwoods at Anfield to refill his transfer kitty for at least one more new player before the new season kick-off.

Liverpool FC are weighting their option on moving Joe Cole to QPR and are keen to reduce their wage load. Milan Jovanovic, who are certain to be moving to the Belgian club after Liverpool agreed terms with Anderlecht on Tuesday evening.

A woeful pre-season defensive display from Liverpool FC which saw them leaking three goals each against Guangdong FC, Malaysia XI, Hull City, Galatasaray and Valerenga. With Martin Skrtel out on a calf injury, the 26-year-old played every minute of the Merseyside club's Premier League campaign last season, but has suffered with the injury during pre-season.

Dalglish would like to sign a new centre-back as cover for his team and Scott Dann and Ryan Shawcross names has been recently linked with a move to Anfield.

Elsewhere, reports has indicated Hull City manager Nigel Peearson are interested in signing Liverpool centre-back Daniel Ayala. The Tigers have made six signings already this summer but are still keen to add the 20-year-old to their ranks.

Dalglish is believed to rate Ayala in the £1million bracket but it is not known whether Hull agree with that valuation.

Now signing a new centre-back would be the top priority for Dalglish as Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos are over 30-years-old. While Daniel Agger are injury prone and only left Academy graduate Andre Wisdom who recently signed an extension contract as cover plus Danny Wilson available for selection. If the Hull’s story are to be true, then Liverpool are freeing up the centre-back slot for a new player soon.

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Villa eye Cole as Downing replacement

Kenny Dalglish flew back to Merseyside on Thursday night to seal the deal for Stewart Downing that will see Liverpool’s spending reach £100million in the seven months since his emotional return to Anfield.

In the morning press, it reported that Liverpool and England midfielder Joe Cole could move to Aston Villa.

Aston Villa accepted an offer in the region of £20million for Stewart Downing late Wednesday evening and with Villa having also lost Ashley Young to Manchester United, Alex McLeish has made inquiry from Kenny Dalglish over the availability of Joe Cole.

Joe Cole has been rumoured to be on the way out of Anfield and the high earner who joined on a free transfer from Chelsea, would jump at a chance to kick start his career again in Birmingham. The signing of Jordon Henderson, Charlie Adam and now Stewart Downing has moved him down the pecking order.

Any deal for Cole is unlikely to be part of the transfer that will take Downing to Merseyside. Both clubs likely to want to keep each deal separately.

Liverpool would be demanding a transfer fee in the region of £4million for the England international.

According to Jamie Carragher, who is captaining Liverpool in the far east, Downing's arrival could see Andy Carroll, in particular, receive the kind of service he was deprived of in his first half-season on Merseyside. Carroll, who has Alan Shearer's hunger for a well-delivered cross, managed only two goals.

   “It's a terrific signing, there is no doubt about that whatsoever,” said Carragher of Downing after an open training session in the Bukit Jalil Stadium, which attracted 38,700 supporters, who greeted every simple pass or shot into an open net ecstatically.

“He will definitely make a difference with his ability to go outside and down the line to get in quality crosses. He was Aston Villa's player of the year and he will give us something we have been lacking – genuine quality on the left-hand side.”

This story has been reproduced from the media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.

Source: Footie-Online.co.uk

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Successful operation for Jamie Carragher

Liverpool have today confirmed Jamie Carragher has undergone a successful operation on the shoulder he dislocated at Tottenham last weekend.

Carragher is expected to be out for three months.

   "The operation went well,"

"It also confirmed this was the correct course of action to take to ensure Jamie makes a complete recovery." - said Peter Brukner, Head of Sports Medicine and Sports Science at Anfield.

Carragher will now set out on the road to full fitness after undergoing successful surgery.

Source: LiverpoolFC.tv

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Jamie Carragher out for three months

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is likely to be out for three months after being told he requires surgery on his dislocated shoulder.

The 32-year-old suffered the injury in Sunday's Premier League defeat at Tottenham.

Carragher underwent a thorough examination at Liverpool's training ground yesterday but medical staff were unable to make a full assessment until this morning.

Carragher told the club's website:

   "I'll be having surgery at the end of the week.

"The average is about 12 weeks. I'd like to come back before that but I've got to make sure it's right.

"It will probably be late February or early March when I'm looking to come back.

"It's difficult for me when I'm injured. It hasn't happened very often, and I'm very lucky with that I suppose, but maybe it's caught up with me a little bit now.

"I've been here before with a broken leg which put me out this length of time.

"It's not easy but you've got to get on with it, and it makes you more determined to get back.

"I'm sure towards the end of the season when people are maybe feeling a little bit tired I'll be raring to go."

The news is a huge blow for Liverpool, who are already without captain Steven Gerrard and Carragher's fellow defender Daniel Agger.

Gerrard is expected to be out for another three weeks with a hamstring injury sustained on England duty while Agger is hoping to return mid-December after a calf problem.

Carragher had captained the side in the absence of Gerrard at White Hart Lane when he was forced off with three minutes remaining.

Following his exit Liverpool conceded an injury-time goal to Aaron Lennon to lose 2-1, a defeat which leaves them 10th in the table.

Source: The Telegraph

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Video Highlights: Liverpool 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

Fernando Torres rediscovered his scoring touch to earn Liverpool a thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers on Sunday afternoon.

The 26-year-old's winner was his first goal since the win over West Brom on August 29.

It came at the end of a crazy five minutes in which Sotirios Kyrgiakos had given the Reds a lead only to see it cancelled out by a Jamie Carragher own goal.

 

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Carragher week: 1 career, 23 pictures

By Paul Hassall of Liverpoolfc.tv

Jamie Carragher will mark his 15th season as a first-team player with Liverpool in a testimonial versus an Everton XI on Saturday - here's his career to-date in 23 great pictures.

 

The ultimate one-club player, and with one of the biggest hearts in football, Jamie Carragher is Mr Liverpool.

The vice-captain has been instrumental in the Reds' success over the last decade, during which he's made more than 500 appearances.

One of the heroes of Istanbul, it's hard to imagine that famous comeback occurring without him.

His Liverpool journey began back in October 1996 when he signed professional terms following a successful apprenticeship.

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Michael Owen to pull on the colours of Liverpool

Michael Owen is back on Merseyside after leaving Liverpool six years ago. He will be wearing a Liverpool shirt again.

 

He will be featured in Jamie Carragher’s testimonial match against Everton XI at Anfield next weekend. Owen, reviled by some Liverpool fans after crossing one of the game's oldest divides, is said to be uncertain of the reaction he will get from the Anfield crowd but does not have great expectations considering the abuse when he returned last season for the first time since joining their rivals at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has given him permission to play for 45 minutes. Besides Owen, Carragher has also persuaded Jamie Redknapp, Danny Murphy, Jason McAteer, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, Dietmar Hamann and Emile Heskey to play for Liverpool XI.

The Anfield match on Saturday, September 4 will celebrate Carragher's illustrious career to date and raise cash for Merseyside children's charities. Current Blues boss David Moyes is set to manage the Everton XI.

Welcome home, Michael. We will go easy on you. Enjoy your day at Anfield.

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