There’s something magical about a surprise—especially when it involves a couple of Liverpool FC’s rising stars dropping in on an unsuspecting crowd.
This week, the Anfield Sports and Community Centre played host to a moment that left everyone grinning from ear to ear as Stefan Bajcetic and Vitezslav Jaros took time out from their busy schedules to make a difference at the LFC Foundation Inclusion Camp.
For those not in the know, the LFC Foundation Inclusion Camp is a fantastic initiative, supported by the Premier League and the Steve Morgan Foundation, that offers free sports activities throughout the year for folks across the Liverpool City Region.
But this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill sports camp—it’s designed specifically for children, young people, and adults who have additional learning, behavioural, physical, and sensory needs. We’re talking about a camp that truly lives up to the spirit of inclusion.
Now, imagine you’re there, working on your football drills, when suddenly you look up, and there’s Stefan Bajcetic and Vitezslav Jaros, two players who are normally seen on TV, strolling towards you with smiles on their faces.
That’s exactly what happened to the participants at the camp this week. They didn’t just swing by for a quick hello—they got stuck in, watching the sessions, sharing footballing tips, signing autographs, and even posing for a few photos. Talk about a dream come true!
Jaros, clearly moved by the experience, said, “It’s great to see everyone here and for them all to be able to be involved and put the shirt on and play football.
It’s always good to come down and see the guys get excited so it’s brilliant for us as well as them.
There’s a big age range here and it’s brilliant to see, football is for everyone and that’s the way it should be, and the LFC Foundation is helping do that.”
Bajcetic was equally enthusiastic, adding, “It’s great, obviously Liverpool is a big club on the field and off the field as well with things like this.
It’s been great to come here and see everyone and lots of little fans who were really excited so it’s great.
The LFC Foundation are always doing work to help people with disabilities and it’s really good, coming to stuff like this it’s amazing to see what the LFC Foundation does to help people off the pitch as well.”
It’s clear that the LFC Foundation isn’t just paying lip service when it comes to inclusion. This camp, along with their other programs, isn’t just about football—it’s about giving everyone a chance to enjoy the game, regardless of their background or abilities.
Whether it’s for those with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, or members of the LGBT+ community, the foundation is knocking it out of the park when it comes to making sure everyone has a place on the pitch.
Karl Carney, the man in charge of Sport and Physical Activity at LFC Foundation, summed it up perfectly: “We have a number of inclusive programs based around sport and physical activity, and we pride ourselves on ensuring we provide opportunities for all regardless of characteristic or background, aligned to our Red Together strategy.
This is our commitment to embedding and championing equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work.
Inclusivity in sport is really important because we feel that football is an activity for all. We believe it’s really good for mental and physical health and provides social interaction for all those that take part.”
And if that doesn’t make you feel good about the beautiful game, I don’t know what will. Seeing Bajcetic and Jaros stepping off the pitch to make a real difference in their community shows that football is about more than just what happens during 90 minutes.
It’s about bringing people together, no matter who they are, and giving them something to smile about.