Liverpool legend to return vs Borussia Dortmund after angry substitution 'dispute'

Djibril Cisse is set to return to Anfield on Saturday when Liverpool Legends face Borussia Dortmund, just over a year after he was left unhappy following his substitution in a charity match

Djibril Cisse was part of the Champions League-winning squad(Image: Getty Images)

Djibril Cissé is set to make his return to Anfield this weekend, 12 months on from an unexpected outburst at the famous Liverpool ground. The ex-Reds striker remains hugely popular on Merseyside, having turned out for the club between 2004 and 2006, scoring 26 goals across 82 matches.

Cissé, 44, claimed the Champions League, FA Cup and Super Cup during his two-season stint in England. His son, Prince Cissé, is presently on the books of the club's U18 side. The 41-cap former France international departed Liverpool 19 years ago.

However, he's since taken part in charity matches at Anfield, with his next appearance at the ground due on Saturday, when Liverpool's Legends take on Borussia Dortmund.

His comeback to the stadium comes just over 12 months after his previous outing at Anfield when Liverpool Legends faced Chelsea. The fixture ended 2-0 in the Reds' favour, though Cissé was left furious after being substituted by Sir Kenny Dalglish.

Club icon John Aldridge, who acted as Dalglish's assistant during the game, was taken aback by Cissé's reaction. He said at the time: "For the first time ever, we had a dispute. Djibril wasn't happy. We all thought he'd pulled up." Cissé spent merely two seasons at Liverpool, yet his heroics in the Champions League final and his memorable goal in the Reds' 2006 FA Cup final victory against West Ham secured his cult hero status.

His move to Anfield came after a 26-goal season for Auxerre in Ligue 1, and it wasn't only the Premier League giants who were pursuing his services.

The Frenchman has previously revealed that he nearly joined Barcelona and Real Madrid, but turned down a move to Spain in favour of Liverpool due to his prior commitment to becoming a Red.

"I nearly signed for Barcelona and Real Madrid in the summer of 2004," Cissé told Poker Strategy. "However, I turned those offers down in favour of a move to Liverpool. That season, I scored 26 goals at Auxerre, so there were a lot of clubs interested in signing me that summer, but I wanted the move to Anfield.

Cisse celebrates winning the FA Cup(Image: Sportsphoto/Allstar, Getty Images)

"I had given my word to Liverpool, and I didn't want to go back on that agreement. Of course, it would have been great to line up at the Camp Nou or the Bernabeu alongside the talent there was there at the time, but I had already had some good conversations with the club, and I was happy to sign for Liverpool.

"Liverpool is a great club, and it was one of the best nights of my career to win the Champions League in the way we did in Istanbul the following year, so I'm very happy with the choice I made." Last year, Cissé disclosed that a former Liverpool manager proved pivotal in convincing him to relocate to England. He said: "I chose Liverpool because of, first, Gerard Houllier. He made it feel like it was a safe place to go but also a safe place with a massive history."

Previously, Cissé acknowledged that a former Liverpool boss was fundamental in persuading him to make the switch to England. He said: "Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush... they were strikers I watched when I was a kid, so it was an honour and a pleasure for me to walk in their footsteps.

"And I'm a man of my word. I gave my word to Liverpool a year before I actually signed for the club; in my last season with Auxerre, I had already told Liverpool I would join them."