Alexander-Arnold returns to roots at Liverpool Hub

"I'm just a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true."

Those words from Trent Alexander-Arnold have been made famous by a big mural of the Liverpool player on the side of a house in the city.

And thanks to investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government, the opportunities for other children on Merseyside to say those words are improving.

Over the past year, four multi-sports hubs have been developed as part of a £20.8million project to transform sporting facilities across the city.

The new facilities were made possible with £12.7million of investment from the Premier League, The FA and Government's Football Foundation.

There was also a £7.8million contribution from Liverpool City Council and £250,000 from the Rugby Football Union.

Popular sporting hubs

Already the four sites have welcomed more than 500,000 visitors through their doors in the past year, enabling people to access a wide range of sporting facilities.

Alexander-Arnold, Everton midfielder Tom Davies and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher went to see the hub at Jericho Lane in action and were impressed by the results.

"As a Liverpool lad, it's great to see people of different ages and backgrounds using these fantastic facilities," said Alexander-Arnold.

"It will encourage young people to play more football, to get involved in more sporting activities and use it as a good avenue to keep kids on the straight and narrow, and really produce something positive."

Another of the sites, the Jeffrey Humble venue, was where Alexander-Arnold played as a youngster.

"It was my stomping ground and it's a time that I will never forget," he added.

"To know that the facility has really improved, it's something that is really good for the local community."

Keeping kids active

These facilities with 3G pitches will help to develop young players, especially in the winter months when grass pitches are prone to flooding.

"We have some really bad weather and with a lot of grass pitches, the games would have been off," Carragher said. 

"Here, the kids can keep playing, it gets them out of the house and it keeps them fit."

With the help of Liverpool FC Foundation and Everton in the Community, the sites also support the social wellbeing of local people, with sessions being run to combat knife crime, improve mental health and support the Women's Institute.