Liverpool boosted city economy by nearly £500m after 1.5m fans flocked to Anfield

The wider financial impact of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool revolution has been spelled out in a new report from accounting firm Deloitte.

The Reds have been transformed from sleeping giant to serious contender since Klopp’s 2015 appointment - one of a number of shrewd decisions made by owners Fenway Sports Group.

Their progress since is evident in back-to-back qualifications for the Champions League, the fiscal benefits of which were never in doubt.

But a surprise run to last season’s final provided a further financial boost to both the club and the city it calls home.

Thanks in part to the additional fixtures brought about by their European journey, Liverpool welcomed 1.5m fans to Anfield in 2017-18.

And, according to Deloitte, the club boosted the Liverpool City Region’s economy by £497m Gross Added Value (GVA) as a result.

That figure includes a £102m contribution from visitors to the city, including £42m on accomodation and £28m in the region’s food and drink venues.

Those numbers could well be improved upon this season after the Reds were recently granted permission by the city council to host concerts.

The likes of Take That, Pink and Jon Bon Jovi are all signed up to perform this summer, and it is believed that such events could generate as much as £4.1m in revenue for the area.

Of course, Liverpool chiefs will no doubt hope to explore what the city council can do for them in return having released these figures, with the absence of rail links close to Anfield one of the talking points that could be set to resurface.

But, for now, CEO Peter Moore is content to focus on what is largely a mutually beneficial relationship between club and city.

He said: “Understanding how our club impacts our region both from an economic and social perspective is important.

“It’s clear that many of our matchday visitors come to Liverpool for the football, but return for the city itself, so there is a longevity and continuous cycle to the impact we’re creating.

“Through our community initiatives we’re also growing impact season on season and through things like foodbank collections have already surpassed last season’s total with a third of this season to go.

“We’re also broadening this impact and as work starts on our new training ground development in Kirkby, so too will our community work through Red Neighbours.”