Former Liverpool FC goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has called on football fans to throw their support behind their local foodbanks - and offered budding goalies free coaching sessions in exchange for donations.
The former Champions League star, who is now the head goalkeeping coach for Colne, was inspired by Fans Supporting Foodbanks, a partnership between Liverpool and Everton supporters which sees both sides unite under the shared goal of providing food and other necessities to those in need.
He told Vauxhall Motors FC: "When we put a goalkeeper session on at the academy (Chris Kirkland Goalkeeper Academy), we could only pick 16 keepers, so I got players, coaches, everyone sending videos why that keeper, he or her deserved the chance to train at the academy. Then after that I was getting messages from people saying we missed out, is there anything you can do?
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"I know the great works [Fans Supporting Foodbanks] does, collections are at Tranmere, the women's games, Everton - Goodison - and Anfield. They do some incredible work and I've only really got into it in the last year or so. I thought I'd go to the clubs and say if you do a collection at your club, at least 15 or 20 bags of food, I'll come and do a goalkeeping session with your goalkeeper."
Chris also encouraged Liverpool FC fans to make their own foodbank donations ahead of tonight's Liverpool vs Leicester City game in Anfield.
He said: "They've got so many sites all over Merseyside and I see first-hand just how important what they do is, because times are extremely tough at the minute and a lot of families just can't feed their kids, feed themselves, feed their families.
"Quite simply you can go along - there's pop-up ones all over the place - and get free food. If you are really struggling, there are schemes where you can pay £3 and get a bag of food. But if you turn up to one of these foodbanks and you say I've got no money, I've got no food to feed my kids, they sort them out, they give what they've got.
"All the matches at the women's games at Prenton Park, at Goodison, Anfield, on every match day when the teams are at home, SFoodbanks are there. So take anything down you can."
A Fans Supporting Foodbanks spokesman said: "Tops any New Year's Honours list for us. Chris Kirkland is a credit to his family, his club and our community. Please donate prior to tonight's game if you can."
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