MICHAEL Higdon retired from football 18 months ago but the big Scouse striker is still savouring the prospect of a dream double this season, writes Stewart Fisher. Part one requires Motherwell, the club where he spent the two most prolific years of his career, rattling in 40 goals in 72 games, to defy Celtic’s hopes of their own historic double treble on Saturday. The next part involves his beloved Liverpool completing the second leg by claiming the European Cup seven days later. “That would be an incredible double,” said Higdon. “I’d be so happy. I’d be more ecstatic if Liverpool won the cup, but I’d be delighted for Motherwell.”
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As if all that wasn’t exciting enough for this Liverpudlian, there is also has the small matter of one of his all-time Kop idols Steven Gerrard arriving in Scottish football next season, battling his old gaffer Brendan Rodgers from the manager’s hot seat at Rangers. “I think Gerrard’s the biggest signing in Scottish football history,” Higdon said. “People in England can’t knock the fact Rangers and Celtic are massive clubs, regardless of how the league’s perceived. Will he succeed? I don’t know, it’s his first job,” he added. “It’s like me getting the job — you just don’t know. I don’t want to see him fall flat on his face. But it also wouldn’t be surprise me if it happened. But I think Gerrard’s honest enough — if it’s not going right then he wouldn’t just sit there and keep going. He’ll give it all he can and if it’s not working then fair enough. But he’ll inspire that club, he’s that type of fella.”
First things first, though, and that is Motherwell’s date with destiny. Having reached a second Hampden final this year, Higdon sees parallels with his own perfect season of 2012-13, when the club finished second and he scored 27 goals to win the PFA Scotland player of the year award, the only blemish on his season being the fact he spent the remainder of the night in the cells. “The season before I was getting booed,” said Higdon. “In fact, I got booed practically everywhere! But that season I got the goals was special. Stuart McCall was a fantastic manager, like one of your pals. You’d have gone through a brick wall for him.”
As highly as Higdon is regarded around Fir Park, he knows that winning a cup final would see this group take a short cut to legend status. With Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic for once going into the game on a home draw and defeat – the Scouser feels ‘Well might just ‘nick it’. “Motherwell was the happiest time of my career,” said Higdon. “But if the current boys were to win the cup it would make them legends. I played in a couple of finals — I still don’t how I lost that one with St Mirren against Rangers [the 2010 League Cup final] when they had only nine men. I got man of the match — but it’s still hard talking about it now.”
**Michael Higdon was at a William Hill media event. William Hill are proud sponsors of the Scottish Cup
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