When Sven-Goran Eriksson takes command of Liverpool Legends on Saturday, he will be realizing a lifetime goal.
The former England manager grew up rooting for the Reds. And, while he never had the opportunity to coach Liverpool during his career, the LFC Foundation has made his ambition come true as the Legends prepare to host Ajax at Anfield on Saturday.
Steven Gerrard will head a Liverpool Legends lineup of 21 players, including Fernando Torres and Sami Hyypia. Eriksson has previously managed only one player, the former England captain.
But rather than any of the legends he will be in charge of on Saturday, it is a man in the dugout opposite him that Eriksson most
laments not being able to sign.]
“I should have bought him for Roma,” the Swede stated as he sat down for a pre-match press conference at the AXA Training Centre on Friday to promote the eighth annual Legends match.
John Barnes, a club veteran who will be one of Eriksson’s assistant managers on Saturday alongside ECHO columnist John Aldridge and Ian Rush, is the one who got away.
“But if he had bought me, I would not have come to Liverpool in 1986.” “Only two foreign players,” Barnes responded. “So we couldn’t,” Eriksson explained before the hearings began. “But it was very close.” “Several years ago!”
Barnes would be asked directly about his transfer near-miss once the press conference began, confessing that only FIFA transfer laws prevented him from moving to Roma.
While he was outspoken about his desire to play in Italy during his playing career, he has no regrets that such a deal fell through. After all, its fall allowed him to join Liverpool from Watford in 1987.
“Yeah, I knew about it,” Barnes said. “In the 1980s, I recall Luther Blissett going to AC Milan in 1984, and they were all heading to Italy. “Maradona, Platini, they were all there.”
“Coming from Watford at the time, before I moved to Liverpool, Sven was there in ’85, ’86. ’84 to ’87. I believe the year was 1985. I’ve known Sven for years. We have an agency together, and we have maintained in touch.
