History will be made when Liverpool Legends face Chelsea on Saturday.
The annual Legends game, which takes place during the March international break, will see a number of familiar faces from the Reds’ past stepping back out on the hallowed turf at Anfield. The full squad has been announced ahead of the game, with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Martin Skrtel and Peter Crouch all returning, with Sir Kenny Dalglish managing the side once again.
As for Chelsea, the Blues’ team will be managed by 2012 Champions League winning coach Roberto Di Matteo, and includes the likes of Gary Cahill, John Obi Mikel, Eidur Gudjohnsen and GIanfranco Zola.
Also included in the Liverpool squad is Natasha Dowie, who will become the first woman to play for the Legends.
Dowie is the perfect pick as the first female player to represent the Reds’ legends. For starters, she is Liverpool women’s record goalscorer, with 47 goals to her name from her time with the Reds.
She also won two Women’s Super League titles during her first spell at Liverpool, and became an ambassador for the club after retiring from playing in 2023.
Dowie’s career saw her play in six countries, turning out for Melbourne Victory in Australia, Boston Breakers in the United States, Linkoping in Sweden, Valerenga in Norway, and AC Milan in Italy, as well as eight clubs in England.
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Having started her career at Watford, she moved on to Fulham, Charlton and – unusually for a former Liverpool player – Everton. It was with the Toffees where she picked up her first pieces of silverware, winning the Premier League Cup in 2008 before going on to score twice in the 2010 FA Cup final as Everton beat Arsenal 3-2.
Dowie also spent time on loan at Barnet and was named Everton’s player of the year in 2011 before making the short journey across Stanley Park as she joined Liverpool in 2012. She would go on to finish as the WSL’s top scorer with 13 goals as the Reds won the title in 2013, and was voted the FA Player’s Player of the Year and selected in the PFA’s Team of the Year.
She would help Liverpool to back-to-back titles the following year, before agreeing to a two-month loan with Melbourne in November 2015. Upon her return to the UK, she made the permanent move to Doncaster Rovers Belles, but only spent a short time with the club before making the move Stateside.
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During her time in Boston, she finished the 2017 season as the Breakers’ top scorer with seven goals. After the team disbanded in January 2018, Dowie made the move Sweden, before rejoining Melbourne six months later, where she helped Victory to the W-League Premiership title in 2019.
After two years back in Australia, during which time she spent time on loan in Norway, she made the move to Milan in 2020, before returning to the UK with Reading in June 2021. In January 2023, Dowie returned to Liverpool on loan for the remainder of the season, before she retired from playing later that year.
(Image: Getty Images)
Dowie also won 14 caps for England during her career, scoring five goals in the process. Now an ambassador for Liverpool, she is regularly seen at events for the club, and made the journey over to the US for pre-season last summer.
“It’s so exciting for us to include female players in this year’s Legends game,” Dowie said about the chance to play in this year’s game. “We’re the first to do this at club level, we are pioneers, and it’s a big thing for young girls and boys to see this happening.
“The Legends games are something I’ve watched for many years, so to now be involved in one is just going to be incredible. It really is going to be a great occasion, and I can’t wait, I’ve been counting down the days!”
