Former England stars send Sven-Goran Eriksson touching messages ahead of final Liverpool wish

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard insists he has been training hard to be in the best shape to complete one final 90 minutes for Sven-Goran Eriksson when the former England manager takes charge of the Reds on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier this year the Swedish manager announced that he had approximately 12 months left to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. When asked if he had any regrets, the 76-year-old explained that he always wanted to manage Liverpool having grown up supporting the club with his dad.

Following his admission, there was a movement from supporters to ensure that Eriksson was named the Liverpool Legends' manager for the LFC Foundation charity match against Ajax on Saturday. The Swede has since been announced as the manager for the clash and has described the opportunity as a 'dream' ahead of what promises to be an emotionally-charged day at Anfield.

Eriksson's pre-match Liverpool press conference

Eriksson makes Liverpool title prediction

Before the game, Channel 4 arranged for some of his former England players to send their best wishes. Among them was Gerrard who paid tribute to his old international manager.

"I just wanted to send you my best wishes, send you some love and support," the current Al Ettifaq boss said. "Been thinking about you a lot lately.

"I hope you are doing okay and I am really looking forward to seeing you next week. I am happy to have you as the gaffer at Anfield, that'll be really special so I am just trying to get the body in good condition so I can last the 90 minutes."

An emotional Owen Hargreaves added: "First of all I just want to say thank you for everything you did for me throughout my career. For believing in me when a lot of people didn't.

"It actually changed