Liverpool players on Thursday donned a special shirt during their warm-up at Old Trafford in the memory of their nine-year-old fan Jordan Banks. Banks died on Tuesday after being struck by lightning on a football field in Blackpool. He was a member of the Clifton Rangers Junior Football Club. Prior to their Thursday's match against bitter rivals Manchester United, which Liverpool won 4-2, the Reds wore 'Jordan 7' shirts during their per-match session. In a statement, Liverpool said that Banks' family requested the No.7 feature as the young boy was called 'Mini Milner' by his coach and friends. The Premier League giants also shared a short clip from their practice and captioned it, "Out to prepare for #MUNLIV in a special shirt tonight."
In another post, Liverpool shared a snap of their customized 'Jordan 7' jersey hanging in the dugout alongside their star striker Mohammed Salah's jersey. "You'll Never Walk Alone, Jordan Banks. Nicknamed 'Mini-Milner' by his coaches, Jordan was a brilliant person, as well as a passionate footballer. We're all thinking of his loved ones tonight," Liverpool wrote in the caption box.
Manchester United also paid their respect. "The thoughts of everyone at #MUFC are with Jordan's loved ones tonight," United wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, in January this year, the young boy raised 2,500 pounds by running 30 miles in ten days for mental services to honour his uncle, who committed suicide in 2018, reported BBC.
Banks' selfless deed attracted the attention of his favourite player James Milner, who then sent Banks two shirts - one for him and another to collect more funds for the cause. The Liverpool vice-captain also dedicated their 4-2 win over Man United to the Banks.
With their victory, Liverpool, on Thursday, moved to the fifth spot in the Premier League (EPL) table.