Fan favourite and childhood idol of many, Ian Rush acted as both manager and player at The Castlewood Group Liverpool ...
Even the rain didn't dampen the mood of fans as a Liverpool legends side beat the ex-Singapore Internationals 3-1 in the Castlewood Group Liverpool Masters at a sold-out Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday.
Emile Heskey put the visitors ahead before an own goal by Lim Tong Hai saw the Liverpool Masters go in the break 2-0 up.
The second half of the match saw more nail-biting moments in both penalty boxes, but the men between the sticks maintained steely composure, making saves that ignited applause from the spectators. The visitors however, managed to extend their lead with a goal from Finnish playmaker Jari Litmanen.Impressed by the echoes of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' reverberating in the stands as the teams warmed up, player-manager Ian Rush said, 'It's a big crowd, the atmosphere has been fantastic, and the fans sang out loud throughout the game. It's such great support and that's what makes me and the lads want to play. We want to give you special thanks for all your support.' Rafi Ali also did the ex-Singapore Internationals side proud and put one past Istanbul 2005 hero Jerzy Dudek for a 3-1 final scoreline in front of 7,500 fans.Aleksandar Duric waves at the stands. The match acted as his testimonial match following his retirement on 31 October ...
Liverpool legend Ian Rush signs autographs for fans.
Goal-scorer Emile Heskey also shared his delight at returning to Singapore and playing with retiring Singapore international Aleksandar Duric for the first time. 'It was really nice, it's the second time I played in Singapore and it has been great, especially the support by fans! Duric in particular played really well! Is he really 44?! He made other 44s look really old! He was brilliant on the pitch. I've never seen him play before and I think he's done excellent. His movement, especially at that age, and he has only just retired. He's really outstanding.'
The game also acted as Duric's testimonial match, who was visibly emotional at the final whistle.
Duric, who was fittingly named Man of the Match, shared, 'I really want to thank the whole of Singapore for letting me play in this country. There's no better team to play than Liverpool, especially with my own idol Ian Rush. It's been a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed every moment in front of my family, my friends, and a full stadium of fans here at Jalan Besar, and would like to thank Castlewood Group for allowing this to be a testimonial match..'
Steve Black, Chief Executive Officer of Masters Football Asia, shared his delight. 'The passion and support we've received here have been amazing. We've had such a wonderful week with the players and fans, and we're already looking forward to next year's event. We'll continue working with our partners and sponsors to bring the best of football to Singapore,' he said.
Top row left to right: Patrik Berger, Bjorn Tore Kverme, Jerzy Dudek, Emile Heskey, Stephane Henchoz, Jan Komkramp, Vladimir Smicer. Bottom row left to right: David Thompson, Michael Thomas, Phil ... more
Top row left to right: Patrik Berger, Bjorn Tore Kverme, Jerzy Dudek, Emile Heskey, Stephane Henchoz, Jan Komkramp, Vladimir Smicer. Bottom row left to right: David Thompson, Michael Thomas, Phil Babb, Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Steve Harkness. less
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