Fowler and Smicer to face off

Robbie Fowler was the goalscoring God of 183 Liverpool strikes.

Vladimir Smicer scored just 19 Liverpool goals - but the last was one of the most significant strikes in Anfield history.

The little Czech scored on that astonishing night in Istanbul in 2005, and also put the Reds 3-2 up in the penalty shoot-out.

But on Friday night both will be on opposite sides when the EFPA Champions Cup comes to Liverpool.

Fowler is in Terry Venables' England side alongside Everton stars Dave Watson and Peter Reid, former Reds ace Steve McManaman and Prenton Park heroes Kenny Irons and Ged Brannan.

Rovers legend and member of the all-time Rovers dream team, Irons will be fulfilling one of his own dreams when he runs out for Venables' England team.

The inaugural EFPA Champions Cup has football legends from further afield in Georghe Hagi and Michael Laudrup, but Venables feels that Irons will bring some midfield flair to his squad.

Irons joked: "I was getting a bit concerned that I'd missed my chance to play for England, so I'm made up to have been asked to play in this tournament!

"Football is in my blood so I can't wait to play against so many great players like Hagi and Laudrup. I'm hoping to see a few of my old Rovers fans there too."

The EFPA Champions Cup is the final event of the European Former Players Association annual congress which takes place the day before.

Tickets for the ECHO Arena event are priced £20 adults, £10 under-16s and concessions and are available from www.echoarena.com or call 0844-8000-400.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.