Liverpool's Steven Gerrard eyes one more bid for FA Cup glory
For Reds fans, a fairy-tale finish would see former England captain lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, but first they have to get past Aston Villa
Steven Gerrard is gunning to lead Liverpool against fellow Premier League side Aston Villa in an FA Cup semi-final at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Reds captain, in his final season with the Anfield club, is available after missing Liverpool's last three matches through suspension, having been sent off for stamping on Ander Herrera during a 2-1 league defeat at home to bitter rivals Manchester United on March 22.
But now the question is how Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will deploy veteran midfielder Gerrard.
Liverpool native Gerrard has been a one-club man in his 17-year professional career so far, but he is set to bring down the curtain on his time at Anfield come the end of the season when he joins Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.
He's a special footballer. He has always produced big goals and big moments. The most important thing is having him back for Sunday. He knows Wembley well. He's got special quality
For Liverpool fans, the fairy-tale finish would see former England captain Gerrard lifting the FA Cup in a Wembley final on May 30 - his 35th birthday.
Liverpool organised a behind-closed-doors friendly on Monday to help assess Gerrard's fitness but Rodgers was in no doubt he could feature against Villa. "Steven is definitely ready. We had a game here on Monday that he played in," said Rodgers.