The Liverpool men’s squad made their annual Christmas visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital on Monday.

As is tradition each December, Reds players and staff spent time around the West Derby facility to spread a little festive cheer.

Arne Slot and his team met patients and their families, as well as Alder Hey staff, posed for photographs and shared LFC goodies.

“This place is full of heroes, in my opinion, helping so many kids through very tough times. Not only the kids, also the parents,” said Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

“It’s great for us to be here. It’s tough to hear certain stories, but we know what it could bring if we are here and visiting the kids. I’m really happy to be here.”

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. And it’s nice to see the staff with how hard they work, giving them a bit of help as well.”

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The driver who ploughed through crowds at Liverpool’s victory parade, injuring 134 supporters, has been jailed for 21 years and six months.

Paul Doyle, 54, was travelling into the city centre to collect friends on May 26 when he “lost his temper” and drove his Ford Galaxy directly into supporters making their way home from the Premier League title celebrations.

Dashcam footage from the vehicle, played in court, showed the shocking moments when fans were thrown onto the bonnet of the car or fell underneath as he accelerated down Water Street, which had been closed to traffic, at about 6pm.

Doyle, who could be heard in the footage swearing and shouting at supporters to “move”, had initially denied 31 offences he was charged with.

But last month, moments before the prosecution was due to open his trial, he changed his pleas to admit all the charges.

The former Royal Marine cried as he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent and three counts of wounding with intent.

The 29 victims named in the indictment ranged in age from six-month-old Teddy Eveson, whose pram was thrown in the air in the crash, and 77-year-old Susan Passey.

Sentencing judge Andrew Menary KC told the defendant he acted in an “inexplicable and undiluted fury” when he ploughed into crowds.

He told Doyle: “It is almost impossible to comprehend how any right-thinking person could act as you did.

“To drive a vehicle into crowds of pedestrians with such persistence and disregard for human life defies ordinary understanding.”

The judge added: “Your actions caused horror and devastation on a scale not previously encountered by this court.”

Doyle had travelled to the city centre from his home in Croxteth, Liverpool, to collect friends who had been at the parade.

During his drive into the city he undertook other vehicles and ran a red light.

Footage showed the father-of-three driving down Dale Street, appearing not to slow down despite Liverpool fans filling the roads.

His dashcam footage captured him saying “f****** pricks” as people pulled their children out of the way to prevent him hitting them.

When he reached a line of cars turning right, away from Water Street which was closed to traffic, he paused before swerving into crowds filling the left lane.

People could be seen on the bonnet of his car and falling underneath as Doyle accelerated into the street.

His car was only brought to a stop when fan Dan Barr climbed into the back seat of the automatic vehicle and held the gearstick in park mode.

Doyle, who has previous convictions for violence in the 1990s, continued to try to accelerate but the car, which had people trapped underneath it by this point, was unable to move further.

When interviewed, he said he had seen someone with a knife and drove in panic for fear he would be attacked, but police found no evidence from CCTV or witnesses that anyone in the area had a knife.

No defects were found with the car and Doyle was not under the influence of drink or drugs.

James Allison, from the Crown Prosecution Service Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Why did he do it? I think the simple answer is he lost his temper. He went into a rage.

“He just wanted to get down that road, and in trying to get down that road those next couple of minutes probably devastated a lot of people’s lives.”

Detective Chief Inspector John Fitzgerald said: “Doyle’s total disregard for the safety of others—particularly the many young children present on Dale Street and Water Street that day—is beyond comprehension.

“It is sheer luck that no lives were lost.”

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Hugo Ekitike has discussed the ‘secret’ Instagram account that he uses to post non-football related content, saying it makes him feel more relatable.

The Frenchman has been Liverpool’s signing of the summer, scoring 10 goals in 23 appearances since his potential £79 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ekitike’s brilliance as a footballer isn’t the only thing that has endeared him to Reds supporters, however, with his personality also shining through.

The 23-year-old’s secondary second Instagram account is popular among fans online, allowing the striker to showcase his off-field activity.

Speaking to All Red Video, Ekitike talked about why he has the account and how it makes him feel more down-to-earth away from his life as a world-famous sportsman.

“The first time I’ve seen that, it [was from] an NBA player who was doing that,” Ekitike said.

“I found that kind of cool. I think I could do even more good.

“For me it’s personal, so you can’t really judge what I do. I feel like you can’t really express yourself.

“Like every time I go on my account, I know I’m going to post football stuff, can’t really post if you’re happy or you’re not.

“I like the second one because it’s more like mood. I can show how I feel, what makes me love.

“That’s what people need because they only see proper posts of footballers. I’m human. It’s just to show I’m just like you. I think more people should do that.

“You know what, I think I take more time to choose the song than the pictures. I think the music makes me take time to post.”

While Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz arrived as Liverpool’s shiniest new summer signings, it is Ekitike who has become the new fans’ favourite.

There is a freedom that he plays with that is so easy to warm to, and the fact that he is showing off his character away from the pitch is only adding to his popularity.

A new attacking hero has emerged, both in terms of talent and charisma, and the sky is the limit for him at Liverpool.

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