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‘I’d love to see it… I’d definitely have the popcorn’: Steven Gerrard defends Todd Boehly’s North vs South Premier League All-Star game idea, but insists calendar is too full to fit in
- Todd Boehly has called for a ‘North vs. South’ Premier League All-Star game
- Steven Gerrard has said he ‘loves’ the idea of a North vs. South All-Star game
- The former Liverpool captain has said he would have liked to have been in the game
- Gerrard, 42, has also said there isn’t enough room in the current calendar
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Steven Gerrard ‘loves’ the idea of a North vs. South Premier League All-Star game, but admits there isn’t enough room in the current calendar.
The idea was first proposed by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. He thinks the Premier League should… Introduce an all-star game to raise money for the English football pyramid.
The American businessman also has called for a ‘four-team tournament’ at the bottom of the table to decide who goes down at the end of the Premier League season.
Steven Gerrard ‘loves’ the idea of a North vs. South Premier League All-Star game
Discussing Boehly’s proposal ahead of Villa’s game against Southampton, Gerrard said: “From a personal point of view I would like to see it.
Gerrard added: ‘I would have loved to play in it’ [the South Premier League All-Star game].
The North would win, because I think Liverpool and City are the two strongest teams in the league.
“But I agree with what I’ve heard a few other managers say – and that’s in terms of, we’ve got plenty to focus on. There are plenty of matches on the calendar.
The idea was first proposed by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly – who believes the Premier League should introduce an all-star game to raise money for the English football pyramid
The proposed match would see the best Premier League stars go head to head in an exhibition game
“And that’s not from a European point of view, so they must be in an even more difficult situation.
“But I know from managing Rangers that when you’re involved in Europe, the last thing you need is another game on the calendar.
“It’s a nice idea, an idea that’s off the beaten track, but unfortunately I don’t see it happening.
‘Still, I’d like to see it. I would definitely have the popcorn for that. It would be a good one.’
Boehly, who completed a £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea in May, claimed the Premier League could learn a lot from American sport to generate more revenue.
American sports like the NFL and NBA host an all-star game every year, with LA Lakers superstar LeBron James (pictured) a constant presence in the exhibition-style game
In an interview at the SALT conference in New York, the 48-year-old said: “I hope the Premier League learns a bit of a lesson from American sport and really starts figuring out, ‘Why don’t we have a bottom four tournament? teams? Why isn’t there an All-Star game?’
“You could play a North-South All-Star game in the Premier League and fund everything the pyramid needs very easily. Everyone likes the idea of more revenue for the League.”
American sports such as the NFL, NBA, and NBL host an annual All-Star game in which some of the best players from across the league compete in an exhibition-style competition.