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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jenny Kirkham

How Liverpool fans made family's day after they were racially abused at Anfield

Liverpool fans showed massive support for a family who were racially abused during a trip to Anfield.

Amir Malik was with his wife, son and daughter during the LFC Legends game in March when a fellow supporter hurled abuse at his family.

The supporter, Steven Gallagher, was later banned from Anfield for life and given a suspended prison sentence but Amir's family were left terrified and angry by the ordeal.

Mr Malik's son and daughter were  left "in floods of tears"  during the match that was the  six-year-old boy's first trip to Anfield  .

Almost four weeks on from the vile incident Mr Malik took to Twitter last week to thank  Liverpool Football Club for an amazing gesture they have made to his family.

Amir said: "I just want to say a massive thank you to LFC for giving me tickets to take the kids back to Anfield this Sunday to watch us play against Chelsea FC.

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"Can’t wait. Just told my boy he’s going to watch  Mo Salah  play live and he’s just gone crazy."

During the match however, other Liverpool fans took the time to come up and speak to the family and the children, showing them what real Liverpool fans are like.

Mr Malik told the ECHO: "The amount of love me and my family received yesterday from the fans was amazing.

"From entering the stadium people were recognising Ayaan and stopping to talk to him and say some really kind words just to make him feel as comfortable as they could.

"It was actually making me a bit emotional just seeing the amount of love people were giving him.

"This will always be OUR club and I will always be behind them."

The family also got to see Ayaan's hero Mo Salah score an absolute blinder of a goal during Sunday's Premier League Clash.

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Amir added: "Salah is Ayaans idol, he loves him and always watches videos of him on YouTube every free minute he gets.

"It was dress up as a professional day at his school and all the kids went as doctors, nurses and police officers Ayaan wanted to go as a professional footballer and obviously he went as Mo.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game against Chelsea (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

"I couldn’t pick a better role model for him to look up to."

The family now hope that Ayaan will be able to meet Mo Salah.

Amir also told the ECHO that he hopes the club gets the recognition they deserve for how they have treated the family.

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