John Barnes has reacted to the reception Steven Gerrard got from Celtic fans during Liverpool Legends’ 2-0 victory at Anfield.
Anfield great Barnes, a former Celtic manager, was serving as assistant manager for the Reds on Saturday while Gerrard, a former Rangers manager, captained the side and opened the scoring.
Booed and jeered throughout by Celtic fans, Gerrard cupped his hands to his ears in front of them in response to such backlash at one stage. And he would celebrate wildly in front of them after breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot, prompting some supporters in the away end to throw bottles at the Liverpool icon.
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Speaking after the game, Barnes admitted the stick Gerrard got was no surprise when asked about the midfielder’s goal celebration. And he thinks the 42-year-old legend might have been a little nervous before stepping up from 12 yards, though was obviously delighted to down his former foes.
“Steven is a very, very strong character,” Barnes told reporters. “He handles things like that. But he also understands and thanks the Celtic fans for coming down because that’s what it’s about.
“Of course you know you’re going to get stick. He was the Rangers manager, and you’ve got Gary McAllister, you’ve got Charlie Adam and Gregory Vignal. You know what’s going to happen. They come not only to support Celtic but to support the cause.
“I think Steven was expecting. He was pleased to put it in. Steven Gerrard is probably one of the coolest players ever. I don’t think he will have been as nervous as taking a penalty against Celtic, in front of the Celtic fans. This is probably the most nervous he felt.”
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