From a young age, I found myself drawn to Liverpool FC. I didn’t actively follow the team back then, but I vaguely remember the miracle of Istanbul and, a little more clearly, the lost Champions League final in Athens. Later, when Jürgen Klopp joined Liverpool in 2015, I started watching the games more regularly. His words eventually came true: I went from a doubter to a believer.
For years, I wanted to visit Liverpool and Anfield, with one particular goal in mind: to watch Liverpool play at home at least once. Work eventually gave me the opportunity to visit the UK quite frequently, and I started adding a few extra days to my trips to explore different parts of the country. Liverpool was high on that list.
December 2024
My first visit came in December 2024. I was in the UK for our annual Christmas party and had also planned to visit some colleagues in Edinburgh. To make the trip a little cheaper, I decided to spend a weekend in Liverpool on my way north.
It turned out to be an interesting weekend to choose.
On the day I travelled from London to Liverpool, a major storm hit western England. Trains were disrupted and, until the last minute, I wasn’t even sure my train would depart. The Merseyside derby was also scheduled for that day at Everton, but it was the only Premier League game postponed, that day, because of the weather.
When I finally arrived, the storm was still going, although thankfully not at its peak. I spent the rest of the day in the hotel, hoping the weather would improve enough for the Anfield tour I had booked.
The following day was completely different. The sun was out and there was barely any rain. I visited Anfield and finally stood inside the stadium I had wanted to see for so many years.
Unfortunately, the visit was short and I barely had time to explore Liverpool itself. Jürgen Klopp had left the club a few months earlier, so I had missed the chance to watch a match at Anfield during his final season. Still, I had finally made it to Liverpool and Anfield, even if it was under a new manager, Arne Slot, in his first season in charge.
I left knowing that I would have to come back.
December 2025
A year later, everything finally fell into place.
When I saw that Liverpool were playing Brighton & Hove Albion at home a few days before our Christmas party, I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity.
The ticket wasn’t cheap, and I had quite a battle with myself before buying it. In the end, though, the heart won.
In the meantime, the post-Klopp era was looking bright, although it had also been an emotional rollercoaster. In his first season in charge, Arne Slot led Liverpool to their 20th league title, before the tragic death of Diogo Jota in July 2025 brought a very different kind of emotion.
So when I returned to Liverpool in December, it was in a very different atmosphere from my first visit.
Once again, my visit was short: one day for the match and another to explore the city.
The day of the game was cold but wonderfully sunny. I spent a few hours walking around the city centre, visited the club shop to get my scarf, and then headed towards Anfield by bus.
The atmosphere around the stadium was everything I had imagined. I spent a couple of hours walking around Anfield Road, photographing the streets, the murals and the places that have become part of Liverpool’s football identity.
And then came the moment I had been waiting for.
Watching Liverpool play at Anfield was special, but hearing and being part of the thousands of people sing You’ll Never Walk Alone was something else entirely. A lifetime dream had become reality, and somehow two hours disappeared in what felt like minutes.
Sadly, I couldn’t bring my camera into the stadium. The memories are still there, captured on my phone, but those photos are probably better kept in my personal archive than in this portfolio. The important thing is that the memories are there—and some moments are better experienced than photographed.
Liverpool, of course, is much more than football. The city has an incredible musical and cultural history, and the following day I spent hours walking through its Christmas-decorated streets, visiting its landmarks and museums.
The weather was typically Liverpool: heavy clouds, rain, brief moments of sunshine, and then more rain. It didn’t matter. I had a camera in my hands, a city to explore, and a dream that had finally come true.
Or perhaps only the first part of it.
Now the dream is to go back for a second match at Anfield.
And, who knows, maybe a third.
YNWA
