'Quite scary sometimes', says Liverpool FC's Virgil van Dijk about disrespect shown to players
Liverpool footballer Virgil Van Dijk is leading a campaign which will see millions of free books handed out to children across the North West.
And to promote the literacy campaign he took daughters Nila and Jadi to join other children for a kick about in Liverpool City Centre.
The Reds star is working with McDonalds helping them deliver two million hours of free football sessions to children each year.
And he's handing out ten million books - encouraging both fitness and literacy amongst under 11s.
He said: “Liverpool is a special place and I love being able to give back to the community that supports us so passionately.
"I am a strong believer that every child should have the chance to learn and play and it is a topic that is close to me and my family which is why I am here today.
“McDonald’s is helping families by offering them more opportunities to access free books and free Fun Football coaching. Today alone we gave out over 3,000 books to children and, from what I saw on the pitch and in the reading area, we may have a few budding authors and footballing superstars in the making.”
And ahead of Liverpool against Leeds in the Premier League on Monday night, he had some words of his own about the club's disappointing season.
He said: "It's very interesting with everything that's happening.
"It's also quite scary sometimes, about the disrespect that personally I get and also as a team.
"But it's part of being at the top, playing at the highest level and also part of winning everything over the last couple of years.
"So we go through this, we go through this together. Everyone has been with us when we won everything.
"We need everyone to be with us as well when we try to get back to winning everything."
With just nine games to go, Van Dijk and his teammates will now throw everything into breaking into the Premier League's top four in the hope this season, like the stories in his books, might yet have a happy ending.