Liverpool are set to receive a guard of honour from Manchester City on Thursday night.

It's become a Premier League tradition, though not compulsory, for opponents of the team newly crowned champions to welcome them by standing aside and applauding as they walk out.

And despite the humiliation of doing so for the team that ripped the title from their hands, Pep Guardiola has confirmed that City will honour the tradition when they meet later this week.

Fans are already excited to see Raheem Sterling in particular having to applaud his former team and most notably Joe Gomez, who he fell out with on England duties last year.

However, not everybody is in agreement with City's show of respect and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy took a controversial stance on the gesture while speaking to talkSPORT.

Are guards of honour nonsense?

Not only did Murphy brand the guard of honour plan as 'nonsense', but he proceeded to justify the stance by saying that Liverpool players were unfit to lace the boots of Kevin De Bruyne. 

Murphy said: “It’s a perception of respect, ‘the right thing to do’, the message you’re trying to send to the football world that when somebody wins, that you show respect and grace.

“The fact City will be doing it on Thursday will show humility, saying ‘well done’ to Liverpool and appreciation for their quality. I think it’s a load of nonsense!

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'De Bruyne is the best midfielder'

“I don’t know where it started and why it started, I would feel uncomfortable doing it. I’d do it because you have to do it, but I wouldn’t want to do it, because it’s not done with sincerity.

“If I was a Liverpool player and United won the league, you know they’re better than you, you respect that and you’re trying your best to be like them, so they know you respect them.

“The fans don’t want you to do it, the players don’t really want to do it, it’s all for effect and it doesn’t mean anything.

“Kevin De Bruyne is the best midfielder, probably, in the world, and he’s clapping his hands and giving a guard of honour to players who can’t even lace his boots!

“And if I’d won it, by the way, if I was walking through, I’d feel awkward. I’d feel uncomfortable.

“I understand why the powers that be created it, because it does give off the right message to those watching. But I don’t see the point.” 

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We're sure Liverpool fans will have something to say about that...