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Garner, 43, has been granted a testimonial match by the club he served for 15 years, a time in which he rewrote the goal scoring history books.
And he’s now set to provide the club’s supporters with one of the tastiest fixtures ever held at Ewood Park – by pitting the Premier League Champions of 1995 against the Worthington Cup Winners of 2002!
The match will be held on Sunday May 18, kick-off at 4pm. Ticket details and corporate packages will be announced shortly.
Garner said: “My time at Blackburn provided me with some of the best memories of my life, anyone who’s read my book will know that.
“And this game will be the icing on the cake – so long as the manager selects me to play!”
The testimonial was granted by the club’s directors in recognition of the service Garner gave to the Rovers and the striker was keen to make it a special day for fans and players.
“For a club like Blackburn to have lifted two major trophies in the space of just seven years is a terrific achievement and when the idea was floated that we could get the respective squads to play against each other, I knew it was going to be a major event.”
Garner first spoke with Graeme Souness who immediately made his team available for the fixture.
Souness said: “I played against Simon in cup games and remember how tenacious a striker he was, and I’m also aware of how highly he is regarded by the fans and by the club as a whole.
“I had no hesitation in making our squad available for this game and we’ll do everything we can to make it a fantastic day for Simon and the fans.”
Robert Coar, the club chairman, said: “Simon is a true legend at Ewood Park – and not just because of his goals.
“He’s enormously popular with the fans and the staff here and we’re delighted to be able to offer him this deserved testimonial fixture.”
Kenny Dalglish, Garner’s last manager at Ewood Park, will make a return to the club he returned to the big time in 1992, as manager of the Champions team. He said: “Simon was part of the fabric of Blackburn Rovers when I arrived and he helped create the platform for us to build on.
“His role was a crucial one and I’m looking forward to returning to Ewood to help celebrate Simon’s career.”
Work is underway on reuniting the stars of 1995 for the first time.
Garner added: “The response from former Rovers players has been tremendous and though we are waiting for some confirmations, Sunday May 18 is going to be a very memorable day!”