As part of Liverpool’s extended partnership with Cadbury, Virgil van Dijk surprised fan Mikey Ryan, who is part of their employability programme.
The club have extended their partnership with Cadbury, which began in 2020, as part of an endeavour to support local people and businesses.
Upon its launch, Cadbury created a limited edition Liverpool FC Champions Dairy Milk bar, which was available to purchase through official club stores.
Proceeds from the sale of these bars were donated to the Liverpool FC Virtual Employability Programme, providing £25,000 to launch the initiative.
In addition to the money raised, Cadbury employees have been volunteering as mentors on the Official Liverpool FC Works Programme, providing real-world business knowledge and advice to participants.
Mikey Ryan works as a Premier League Primary Stars assistant coach and within the LFC Foundation, and is a mentee of the programme.
Following five months of virtual mentoring sessions, Cadbury mentor Matt Parker arranged to meet Mikey in person for the first time.
Unbeknownst to the young supporter, Parker was bringing along Liverpool centre-back Van Dijk, who surprised a “speechless” Mikey with a trip to Anfield.
He was able to sit in Jurgen Klopp‘s seat in the dugout as the Reds warmed up, being greeted again by the No. 4 on the touchline, before watching the game from the stands.
“You know people can be suffering from loads of things in many ways but you never know,” Mikey told Van Dijk of his role upon their initial meeting.
“But that hour of the day, you’ve got to try and make that the best hour that they could possibly get, and that’s what I just try and do when I go and deliver.”
* The extension of the partnership will also see Cadbury and Liverpool FC continue to build on the success of the past three years by providing bigger and better experiences for fans ahead of Cadbury’s 200th birthday celebrations in 2024.
When the 2023/24 season kicks off in August, Cadbury will launch its biggest ever ticket giveaway, offering Liverpool FC fans the chance to cheer on the Reds and experience the magic of Anfield.
Fans will have the chance to win thousands of prizes every week, including hospitality experiences, match tickets, and cash prizes. Find out more here.
Fan Comments