“Invaluable…” – Tash Dowie & Ryan Babel On ‘Extra Special’ Liverpool Legends Match, Salah & More | OneFootball

Legends Babel and Dowie talk Salah and Klopp after LFC Foundation Legends Match   Liverpool legends Ryan Babel and Natasha Dowie labelled playing at Anfield “special” as Klopp managed the Liverpool legends to a 2-2 draw against another former side of his, Borussia Dortmund, in the annual legends’ charity match for the LFC foundation.

It was Jurgen Klopp’s first time in the dugout since the end of his nearly nine-year-long spell at the Reds, which finished with the Normal One doing his trademark fist bumps for the crowd after the game.

Liverpool Women’s all-time goal-scorer Natasha Dowie was subbed on by the management team that included Jurgen Klopp and said, “Jurgen’s been great; I think for him it’s the perfect result, and I think he’s had a great weekend. It’s been really nice that he’s been involved with everything. It was surreal standing there in the changing room hearing Jurgen doing the team talk, but again, he’s fully embraced it, even hearing the crowd sing his song and him doing the fist bumps; it definitely added that extra bit of specialness.”

Jürgen’s attendance and appearance at an LFC foundation event prior led to the most tickets sold for a legends match, with the attendance being over 60,000 to see the legends bring back some nostalgic joy from their playing days.

LIVERPOOL LEGENDS 2026 | AURELIO, BABEL, KUYT, SPEARING & DOWIE REFLECT ON MEMORABLE DAY AT ANFIELD!

Goals came from one of Klopp’s most senior signings, Thiago Alcantara, as well as a goal from Liverpool academy coach Jay Spearing that teammate Steven Gerrard would’ve been proud of.

Ryan Babel was the one who slipped the ball in behind that led to Thiago converting for the opener. The now 39-year-old spoke about the importance of current-playing legend Mohammed Salah to the club, paying great compliments to the Egyptian King’s success.

He said, “I think we have to be very appreciative and grateful for what he’s done for the club. I think it will be really felt when he’s left; that’s usually how it is. I think what he has done for us is unbelievable.”

Mohamed Salah announced he was leaving the Reds at the end of this season after an illustrious nine-year career at the Reds, with ex-pros and current teammates giving him the highest praise, showing how legendary he has been. It now means there are only three players that remain from Liverpool’s legendary manager Jurgen Klopp’s Champions League-winning side.

Fellow Dutchman to Babel, Virgil Van Dijk, is one of the three remaining, alongside Andrew Robertson and Alisson Becker, and has helped settle a large Dutch group of players into the squad, including Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Jeremie Frimpong.

When Babel spoke about the latest Dutchman to sign for the Reds, he was impressed at how well he’s adapted despite injuries and the difficulty of adapting to English football, which the former winger mentioned is a challenge for lots of players.

The former Liverpool, Ajax and Besiktas winger said, “For his first season, I think he is doing quite okay. To adapt in the first season to English football is not easy; it’s not for everyone to make an immediate impact, so I think for his first season he’s done quite well: “You’ve seen it with the other Dutch players, so I believe in the second season he understands what the culture and the club is about, and he can fully focus on his performance.”

Frimpong has played 24 games for Liverpool in all competitions, with a highlight being his goal against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. Despite having injuries, he has settled in well, and the Dutch legacy that Ryan Babel was at the start of has continued to produce a large part of the Liverpool starting eleven this season.

It is thought that the game has helped raise over £1 million for the LFC foundation, where the money goes into supporting local communities around the Liverpool area. As Natasha Dowie said, “What Matt Parish (Chief Executive Officer at LFC Foundation) and his team do is invaluable.”

The work that volunteers and ex-players, such as Natasha Dowie, do as a part of the LFC foundation is immense and, in the past year, has been so important in helping 145,000 families across Merseyside.