Sir Kenny paved the way for Reds’ Spartans visit
Former Rangers loan star Ovie Ejaria and ex-falkirk defender Tony Gallacher will be back in Scotland tomorrow.
Spartans are hosting the mighty Liverpool in a glamour friendly at Ainslie Park.
The Lowland League outfit are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their award-winning charitable arm and, thanks to help from Sir Kenny Dalglish, have managed to arrange for the visit of the Reds’ Under-23s side.
Ejaria, who spent the first half of last season on loan at Ibrox, Gallacher, fellow Scot George Johnston and Bobby Duncan – Rangers boss Steven Gerrard’s cousin, who scored for the first-team in Thursday’s 6-0 hammering of Tranmere Rovers – will all travel north for the match.
Gordon Strachan, patron of the Spartans Community Football Academy (SCFA charity), is set to take in the encounter, which it is hoped will attract a near capacity crowd of 3,000.
Spartans faced a similar side from Manchester United in 2011, when Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Darron Gibson and Tomas Kuszczak were amongst those on show in the 7-1 victory for the Red Devils.
And Spartans chairman Craig Graham believes watching the Champions League winners’ stars of the future will be the perfect way to commemorate a decade of SCFA’S work with the children of north Edinburgh.
He said: “Liverpool have told us some of the players they are bringing up.
“While they might not be household names right now, they will be wonderful talents if they are good enough to be playing for Liverpool.
“When Manchester United were here a few years ago, they had Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard playing – and look where they have gone on to since that day.
“We’re looking forward to it as a club. It’s very much a fitting way for us to celebrate the 10th anniversary.
“Sir Kenny spoke at a charity dinner we hosted, and he has been involved with some of the stuff we’ve done across the last 10 years.
“That’s why he was keen to help us out again, and that’s something which we really appreciate.”