Steven Gerrard turned 40 on Saturday and there was never any prospect of his landmark birthday passing quietly at Liverpool.

The Reds great remains inextricably linked to the Merseyside club, despite leaving his coaching job at Liverpool's Kirkby academy two years ago to become manager of Rangers.

Liverpool's players have a tradition of regaling each other with a Happy Birthday singalong whenever first-team stars are celebrating, and the gesture was extended this week to include former captain Gerrard.

The group singing session began in German, the native language of manager Jurgen Klopp, who led a chant of 'Zum Geburtstag viel Gluck' (all the best on your birthday), before the squad sang 'Happy Birthday, dear Stevie' in English.

Clapping along on the Melwood training pitch, Klopp's players and coaching staff ran through the familiar song in a mesmerising range of languages, including Portuguese, Dutch, Welsh, French, Egyptian and Croatian.

Gerrard played 710 games for Liverpool, scoring 186 goals and winning a host of trophies including the 2005 Champions League, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and a UEFA Cup.

He ended his playing spell at the club in 2015 with the Premier League having proven agonisingly elusive.

Klopp's Liverpool are poised to end the club's 30-year wait for the English championship this season, having built a 25-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.

The suspended 2019-20 campaign, which has been on hold since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, is set to resume in June, with Liverpool needing a maximum of two wins from their remaining nine games to make certain of the title.