Former Rangers manager, Steven Gerrard, found himself at the center of controversy during a charity match at Anfield between Liverpool Legends and Celtic Legends. Gerrard, who now manages English Premier League team Aston Villa, slotted home a penalty during the match, after which he celebrated by running towards the traveling supporters with his arms outstretched, before jumping in front of them. The celebration did not go down well with the Celtic fans, who responded by throwing objects at him from the stands.
😅🔴 𝖲𝗍𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝖦𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗌𝖼𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗇-𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝖾𝗅𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗌! pic.twitter.com/QupDuhWJX1
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 25, 2023
The Old Firm rivalry between the two Scottish teams, Rangers and Celtic, has always been intense, and it was clear that emotions were still high among the fans. Gerrard had been in charge of Rangers for three seasons, during which he helped the team win the Scottish Premiership in the 2020/21 season, stopping Celtic from achieving their dream of winning ten league titles in a row.
As news of Gerrard’s goal and celebration spread, Rangers fans took to social media to taunt their rivals, with some saying that Gerrard had “killed ten in a row.” However, not all fans were happy with the reaction of the Celtic supporters, with some pointing out that it was just a charity match, and that throwing objects at Gerrard was uncalled for.
Despite the controversy surrounding Gerrard’s celebration, the match itself was a thrilling encounter between two teams made up of football legends. Liverpool Legends, featuring the likes of Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypia, Martin Skrtel, Dirk Kuyt, and Steve McManaman, emerged as the victors, with Mark Gonzalez adding a second goal to Gerrard’s penalty.
On the other side, Celtic Legends, including Artur Boruc, Mikael Lustig, Trevor Sinclair, Stiliyan Petrov, and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, put up a good fight, but were unable to find the back of the net.
In the end, despite the controversy, the match was a reminder of the passion and intensity of the Old Firm rivalry, as well as the enduring legacy of the football legends who had graced both teams over the years. It was also a reminder that football can bring people together, even in the midst of bitter rivalries and fierce competition.
