Rodgers: Service was inspirational for us
Brendan Rodgers believes the emotion and poignancy of the 26th Hillsborough anniversary memorial service will have left a lasting and motivational impression on his players.
The manager and his entire first-team squad took up position on the Kop on Wednesday afternoon as the city paused to remember the 96 fans who lost their lives in the disaster.
It was on April 15, 1989 that those children, men and women tragically died at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium.
Rodgers and his team will participate in the competition's last four this weekend, travelling to Wembley for a meeting with fellow Barclays Premier League side Aston Villa.
They'll head to the capital with a sharp sense of perspective too, with a host of new faces within the group having taken in the memorial service for the first time.
"I had a couple of minutes with the players before we left here," Rodgers reflected with Liverpoolfc.com at Melwood today.
"I had never really had to do it in the first couple of years here, but I felt going into the service yesterday that we had a whole raft of players that have come in.
"I know a lot of them understand the club they are at. I said to them that when you sign for Liverpool, you obviously sign for the football club.
"But you're also signing because you're a part of the community of this club. What is really important is Hillsborough and what it stands for.
"We've got some young players that weren't even born when Hillsborough took place. I thought it was poignant as well that this weekend we travel to an FA Cup semi-final.
"26 years ago, the supporters of players at that time we're travelling to a semi-final game. For me, it's always poignant, and the players were very aware of that.
"It was my third service here as the manager and each one is beautiful in its own way.
"You come away and you're inspired by the fight that has taken place over all the years, and very much motivated and committed to fighting for the people - the supporters, the families and the victims."