The biennial Soccer Aid match benefiting UNICEF was
once again held at Old Trafford on Sunday, pitting England against the
Rest of the World. As usual, both teams were comprised of a mix of
celebrities and football legends, but this year one of those
celebrities probably regretted stepping on the pitch with one of those
legends.
Playing for the Rest of the World team along with the likes of Will
Ferrell, Gerard Butler, Mike Myers, Ed Norton and Woody Harrelson (who scored the winning penalty two years ago) under recently sacked Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish (see full rosters here),
chef and profanity connoisseur Gordon Ramsay was taken off on a
stretcher an hour into the game after former Manchester United striker
Teddy Sheringham smashed into him.
Ramsay, who was a trialist with Rangers
in his younger days before a knee injury ended his hopes of a career as
a footballer, didn't get much sympathy from Sheringham after the hit.
Instead, the England striker gave him a pat on the face as Ramsay
winced in pain before being carried off and replaced by "X-Men: First
Class" actor James McAvoy.
England (under manager Sam Allardyce) went on to win the match 3-1
with their first goal coming from Sheringham himself just nine minutes
after crushing Ramsay, but the goal of the day belonged to the RotW
team's Serge Pizzorno, lead guitarist for Kasabian, who chipped a
beauty over legendary Arsenal keeper David Seaman.
"I told my careers adviser I wanted to be centre forward for
Leicester City. When he said 'No' I thought I'd be in a rock 'n' roll
band," Pizzorno said before the match, showing that he was a bit too easily swayed as a youth.