Reds can change lives forever

Ian Rush kicked off the first Standard Chartered soccer clinic of the year with the Chief Executive of the club's main sponsors in Ghana insisting the Reds' visit can 'change lives forever'. Accra, the capital of Ghana, is the venue for the first Liverpool FC-Standard Chartered soccer clinic of 2012 and in searing late morning temperatures, Rush was on hand to officially open the three day event, during which a cross-section of kids from the local community will be given the dream opportunity to be coached in the world famous Liverpool way. The Reds may only be in town for a few days, but Kweko Bedu-Addo insists this week will leave a legacy in this part of the world which will be cherished for a lifetime. "It is a very proud moment to have Liverpool Football Club in Ghana," said the CEO of Standard Chartered in Ghana. "I made the request a year ago for Liverpool to come out here and I am so proud to see it has happened. Ghana is very passionate about football. Liverpool has a strong history and a great following in this country, and the club stands for what we stand for which is community partnership and support." Liverpool's acclaimed community coaching team will spend the week working with children of all ages and different backgrounds, spreading the gospel of LFC to another part of the world. But this is more than about just football. "The Liverpool coaches will be working with both privileged and under-privileged kids this week," he added. "It's great that Liverpool have committed resources to make this trip possible and make the experience possible. "These kids have a lot of life choices to make over the next couple of years and both Standard Chartered and Liverpool share a passion for helping those kids make the right decisions. "Can Liverpool make a difference here? It only takes one to make a difference. Three hours with one kid can transform that child's life.Of course having a legend like Ian Rush here as well presents a wonderful opportunity. I was telling my kids that Messi to them now is what Ian Rush was to me and my generation when we were growing up. I watched him on TV in the eighties and back then I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd be having breakfast with him one day, as I did yesterday. "It's fantastic for Ghana and football in Ghana to have Liverpool FC out here and I am sure you are going to leave a lot of memories which a lot of people will cherish for a long time." Ghana 2012 signals the starr of a new year of soccer clinics between Liverpool and Standard Chartered. Having already visited Kenya, Korea, London, Mumbai and Dubai, this is the first clinic of its kind in west Africa. "This is a part of the world which loves football and loves Liverpool so it made perfect sense to come here," said Gavin Laws from Standard Chartered. "The kids out on the field today are footballers. This isn't like some of the other clinics we've done where the kids have come for a run around, these know how to play football. "It's about giving kids chances to do things they can only dream about. We'd love to see if we can find a player. I think it's a bit too much to expect we can find a player who will end up playing in Liverpool's first team, but if we discover somebody here who the local coaches can take on and develop, then that will be fabulous. "The aim of this week is for everyone to have a good time and for us to once again demonstrate the strength of the partnership between Standard Chartered and Liverpool."