ReactionDjibril Cisse: I'm so proud and honoured to be part of the LFC family
‘It is always a pleasure’ is how Djibril Cisse described returning to Anfield after he scored in Liverpool FC Legends’ 4-2 win over AFC Ajax Legends.
The former France striker came off the bench at half-time and headed home the equaliser as the Reds came from two down to claim victory in front of a sold-out crowd of almost 60,000 on Saturday afternoon.
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Watch on YouTubeGregory Vignal, Nabil El Zhar and Fernando Torres also got on the scoresheet and, in a post-match interview with Liverpoolfc.com, Cisse said: “It’s not every weekend that you are playing in front of nearly 60,000 people so you have to enjoy every second.
“It’s a special club, special fans, special guys, and it is always a pleasure to be here.
“First half, when you have retired for five, six, seven or 10 years some of us, it’s hard to get in the game. You need a few minutes to get into it and I’m a little bit younger so when I come on, I have to make the difference! It’s what I tried to do today.
“We won against a really good team of Ajax and it’s important not to lose in front of our crowd.”
Cisse’s Kop-end header from Dirk Kuyt’s cross pulled the Reds level and he added: “When you have been scoring all your life... that’s the only thing I know how to do well and even if it is a friendly or I play with my kids, I have to score!
“It’s always the same feeling, it’s always great and even more today.”
Sven-Goran Eriksson was part of the LFC Legends management team for the match and Cisse was delighted for the former England boss.
He continued: “It’s quite unusual for a manager to say, ‘It was my dream to manage Liverpool,’ or to coach another team and he was quite open, quite clear about it, and I think it’s a good thing that he was the manager today.
“He achieved one of his goals and on top of that we won, so it’s a special day for us and for him too. He’s a great manager. I never had the chance to work with him but I really respect the guy and I am happy for him.”
Saturday’s game will raise vital funds for LFC Foundation, the club’s official charity, and Cisse stated: “We were talking about it in the changing room: I don’t see many clubs who can fill a 60,000 stadium for a charity game or a foundation game. I think it is only Liverpool or a few, but really few, clubs and it’s a pleasure to be here.
“I’m really, really proud and really honoured to be a part of the Liverpool family and as long as I can run and play football, I will always be here for the foundation.”
- You can support the work of LFC Foundation with a donation at liverpoolfc.com/donate
This article has been automatically translated and, while all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, some errors in translation are possible. Please refer to the original English-language version of the article for the official version.