LIKE most Jamaicans of his generation, Ricardo Gardner spent every Sunday afternoon glued to the television to see his hero John Barnes flying down the wing for Liverpool.

The Reds developed a legion of supporters on the Caribbean island thanks to the Anfield legend, who is now part of the national coaching set-up.

And although Barnes represented England, the country he moved to as a 14-year-old, his Jamaican roots inspired a wave of new footballers.

And one of them is out to make sure the current crop of Kop idols don’t get their way at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.

“Back in those days, they would show every Liverpool game on a Sunday because of John Barnes,” Gardner said. “Everyone was proud of what he achieved at Anfield.

“I grew up watching him on the television and there were a lot of Liverpool supporters because he played there.

“Now there are a few Jamaican players in the Premier League so the feeling is a bit different. But he is still a football legend.”

For more on this story see Friday's edition of The Bolton News