Lucas champions veterans' scheme
Lucas Leiva joined forces with the Liverpool FC Foundation to support the club's recently launched military veterans' programme.
The new scheme aims to re-engage ex-service personnel with physical activity and help them to recapture their spirit of service.
There are over 30,000 military veterans in Liverpool. This figure is likely to significantly increase over the next four years - and the LFC Foundation looks to provide support for those troops when they return to civilian life.
The club's Academy in Kirkby provides a state-of-the-art facility for weekly training sessions and a five-a-side football league is dedicated to veterans at the Goals Centre in Speke.
The programme, which is part funded by the People's Postcode Trust, also links veterans to education and counselling services, opening up pathways to employment opportunities.
Warrant Officer Class 2 Craig Horner said: "It can be difficult for veterans to adapt back into civilian life after the military but this programme gives men and women a sense of comradeship they enjoyed in the army.
"It's a great programme which has helped many veterans so far and I know it will go from strength to strength."
The programme has also caught the attention of the US military, with participants in the Liverpool scheme playing a match against a US side based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
The game was friendly but competitive and ended in a draw. A return leg is scheduled to coincide with national Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 29 - and will be played at Liverpool's Academy.
Mark Haig, Liverpool FC Foundation head of operations, said: "Our Foundation's military veterans' programme supports the armed services through a programme of healthy lifestyle interventions and a military football league.
"We recognise the power of the LFC badge in attracting people to our initiatives and we are delighted to provide such a fantastic programme to hundreds of veterans across Liverpool."
Liverpool FC Foundation is keen to welcome many more ex-servicemen and women to its programme.
If you, a colleague or family member would like to be part of the programme, please contact Steve by email at: LFCFoundation@liverpoolfc.com.
You can follow the Liverpool FC Foundation on Twitter here or visit its website.