Liverpool have announced that club legends Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Steve McManaman and Daniel Agger will be involved in May's friendly with A-League premiers Sydney FC but not everyone is pleased.
While the majority of Liverpool fans in Australia will jump at the chance to watch Gerrard and Carragher - two members of the Reds' 2005 Champions League-winning side - run around again, there are some questioning whether including past players will dilute the quality of the contest.
Gerrard to play for Liverpool again
Liverpool claimed the "unique concept" is due to their 125th anniversary, as the friendly at ANZ Stadium will be the closest match to the club's birthday on June 3.
No one expects post-season friendlies to be full-blooded matches but some fans and pundits in Australia couldn't resist criticising the decision on Twitter.
Many of them called on Sydney to bring back a number of their ex-players.
ROFL. Just need Terry McFlynn, @MarkRudan, @bootsa22 & Steve Corica to suit up to make sure mugs get value out of that $100 - $200 ticket. https://t.co/kUzy0IauXe
— Athas Zafiris (@ArtSapphire) April 20, 2017
@a_jukic Wait until they see Mcflynn, Matt Bingley and King Kazu on the other side of the pitch.
— Stuart Randall (@SJR1978) April 20, 2017
Gerrard's coming out of retirement to play in the A-League?!
— Jed Dawson (@TheRealJed) April 20, 2017
...Oh, wait. https://t.co/dL67bsDKss
Confirmation that Liverpool's trip to Sydney will be a bit of a farce pic.twitter.com/rmVX0TS2PE
— Neil Sherwin (@neilsherwin) April 20, 2017
Sydney to field a team including Corica, Zdrilic, Timpano and Carney in reply? https://t.co/aVG00anwiD
— Kevin Airs (@KevinAirs442) April 20, 2017
You know what else is on on 24 May? #ACL2017 Round of 16. Don't waste your money on a circus. Stay home and watch a proper match. https://t.co/x6fd3Lk997
— Paul Williams (@PaulWilliams_85) April 20, 2017
Gerrard and Carragher were part of a Liverpool Legends side that played a team of past Socceroos in Sydney in January 2016, which the Reds won 4-0.
That match led to Central Coast Mariners to bring former Liverpool forward Luis Garcia out of retirement, with the veteran Spaniard playing 10 games in the A-League in the second half of the 2015-16 campaign.
Luis Garcia joins Central Coast Mariners
Carragher, 39, hasn't played a competitive match since 2013, while 36-year-old Gerrard officially hung up his boots in November 2016 after two seasons with LA Galaxy.
Agger, 32, also retired last year after two seasons with Brondby in his native Denmark, while 45-year-old McManaman last played in 2005 for Manchester City.
Unsurprisingly, however, plenty Australians of a Reds persuasion were thrilled they will have an opportunity to watch the quartet in action with Jurgen Klopp's current squad.
Confirmed!
— LFC NSW (@LFCNSW) April 20, 2017
GERRARD
CARRAGHER
AGGER
MCMANAMAN
to all play in Sydney with Jürgen's first team! pic.twitter.com/tnTtI8jGnq
Gerrard, Carragher, McManaman and Agger are all coming down to Sydney to play in the game get in!
— Chris (@SimplyFirmino) April 20, 2017
Stevie G, Carragher, Agger and Macca all playing in the Sydney FC match could it get any better??
— Alex (@Alex_H_1234) April 20, 2017