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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

'Check his passport' - Former Liverpool striker pokes fun at Dejan Lovren during World Cup

Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has been the subject of tongue in cheek jokes by another former Red.

Lovren is currently starring for Croatia in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The 33-year-old left Liverpool last year to complete an £11million move to Zenit St Petersburg.

The centre-back had spent six years on Merseyside prior to his exit, winning four major trophies along the way. And now a former Liverpool player has made several jokes aimed at the ex-Reds defender.

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Lovren played for Croatia on Sunday night in their group stage clash against Canada. Former Reds star Dean Saunders, who scored 25 goals in 61 appearances from 1991/92, made several remarks about the ex-Liverpool centre-back.

Saunders, 58, joked that he would beat Lovren in a foot race, while also expressing surprise that the defender is still playing at the highest level.

“This team is getting old,” Saunders told Talksport, talking about Croatia. “Lovren, I didn’t think he was still playing but he’s still here, the former Liverpool centre-back who is now playing in Russia.”

Asked if Canada would fancy themselves in a foot race with Lovren, Saunders joked: “I’d have a chance now of outrunning him!”

During the game, Saunders would make further remarks about Lovren. He said: “Lovren, I didn’t realise that he was only 33.

“I thought he was a lot older than that, we need to check his passport!

“He’s playing ten yards too deep, for me. You’ve got three midfield players who are class acts in there, Modric is one of them, they’re having to play box-to-box football unless they get up the pitch because they’re scared of the pace of the Canadian frontline, so they’re dropping off.”

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