Florent Sinama-Pongolle has admitted he has often dreamt about coming back to Anfield and scoring a goal - and had a gut-feeling that he’d make sure a dream a reality when playing for Liverpool Legends against Manchester United on Saturday.
The Frenchman came off the bench to score a late winner for the Reds’ veterans in front of the Kop to ensure they clinched a ‘Legends of the North’ double over their fierce rivals, having also won 3-1 at Old Trafford back in May.
Signed from Le Havre by Gerard Houllier in 2001, the striker belatedly joined Liverpool two years later after initially remaining with the French club on loan, and would score nine goals from 65 appearances for the club, with his most memorable strike coming when he scored off the bench in the Reds’ famous 3-1 victory over Olympiacos in the Champions League.
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And Sinama-Pongolle was delighted to roll back the years by netting his first goal for the club’s Legends side.
“I'm happy, always something special to come back. My daughter is from Liverpool so I'm quite lucky that I'm always coming over,” he told reporters. “I work also in the TV and media, cover so much Liverpool with the French channel.
“Always when I come over working, I think, 'I hope one day I can again be on that grass'. And why not scoring a goal and make the people happy?
“Today it happened so it was a very special and unique moment. It was crazy. When I came on this pitch, I just knew I was going to get that opportunity to hit one. I just had to make sure I put it in. That's exactly what happened.”
After scoring in front of the Kop, Sinama-Pongolle celebrated his strike by running to the fans and performing Jurgen Klopp’s trademark ‘fistbumps’ celebration. And it made the occasion even more special for the Frenchman.
“To score in front of the Kop and to do Jurgen's celebration, it just makes it all the more special,” he said. “People come because they love football, the passion.
“It was a joy because that's what we feel on the pitch. We don't feel different at all to the fans sitting and standing there.”
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