Liverpool and Everton visit to Alder Hey ‘better than Christmas’

A young football fan said being visited in hospital by some of his favourite players was “better than Christmas Day”.

Players from Everton and Liverpool football clubs met patients and their families while on their annual visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

Everton visited on Friday, and Liverpool players on Tuesday, to meet people on the wards, play board games and take part in some football and basketball activities.

Everton defender Michael Keane said: “One kid just said to me, ‘this is better than Christmas Day!’ so anything you can do like this as a footballer, it’s very special and important, and we’re happy to be here to see everyone.”

Keane said this was his eighth or ninth festive visit to Alder Hey, which was “always something we look forward to as a squad”.

He said: “These families have had a lot of really tough times, especially the kids, and you always come away having been told what a difference it makes to them.”

Keane said the young patients were “obviously excited but it’s also important that we get to speak with the parents, who will have had difficult years and may even be here in the hospital with their little ones for Christmas”.

He said it was important to meet the staff, too, “who do incredible things every day”.

The full men’s squad took part in the visit along with the Blues’ manager David Moyes.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk were among the Reds who visited the hospital this week.

Van Dijk said it was “great for us to be here” and while it was “tough to hear certain stories… we know what it could bring if we are here and visiting the kids”.

He said: “This place is full of heroes in my opinion, helping so many kids through very tough times. Not only the kids, also the parents.”

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones said: “I love coming here with the lads and putting a smile on the kids’ faces and the staff and the families.

“At the end of it, I hope the kids come away feeling more like themselves and the families get a real boost.”

He said it was “nice to see the staff with how hard they work, giving them a bit of help as well”.

Gill Kennedy, Alder Hey’s celebrity, VIP and events manager, said it was “incredibly special to welcome the players from both clubs to the hospital at such a magical time of year”.

She said moments like this made a huge difference and helped create lasting magical memories, adding they were “extremely grateful to both clubs for their generosity and kindness, and we’re proud of the strong relationships we have with them”.

Alder Hey cares for more than 450,000 children each year.