Steven Gerrard has left a special message for his old side Liverpool ahead of their Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.

The ew Rangers boss advised his old teammates not to be afraid and "'seize the moment."

"These players have an opportunity to not just change their careers but their lives in general. They are the moments that you dream of.", Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.com

"My message to the players would be: go and grasp it, go and seize the moment you have worked so hard for. Go and reward yourselves for the journey you have taken this club on.

"You've got to go in with the belief and confidence; you have come this far. You've got to handle the responsibility of being a Liverpool player and you've got to go and deliver."

Anfield icon knows the difference between reaching the elite competition's final and going all the way – he won it in 2005 and reached the final in 2007.

"You'll get plaudits and praise for getting where you are but not many people remember it if you don't get over the line and deliver. I'm still really good friends with ex-team-mates in that team that I played with and I know what it would mean for them. I just hope they go and do it.

"It's important that they try to blank it [the hype around the game] out if they can. It's difficult but just make sure your preparation is spot-on, you get your sleep and the right food, and everything goes well. It's tough, because of the magnitude of the game: it's the biggest game you'll play in as a Liverpool player."