A special guest was welcomed to the Academy this week as Stephen Darby returned to the place where he began his journey in football.
The Academy graduate visited the Kirkby complex to receive a cheque for more than £4,100 for the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, raised by staff and players on a walk up Snowdon last year.
Darby was forced to retire from football in 2018 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, having played for Swindon Town, Notts County, Rochdale, Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers, as well as Liverpool, during his career.
The 31-year-old received the cheque from U23s manager Neil Critchley and the Academy’s head of business operations, Andrew Powlesland.