Liverpool plan to invite pardoned Michael Shields to be their guest at Anfield in the near future - maybe even for Saturday's home game with Burnley.
Reds fan Shields was given a royal pardon this week after spending four years in prison having been convicted in Bulgaria for the attempted murder of a barman.
Shields was arrested in the Bulgarian resort of Golden Sands in May 2005, having travelled there on holiday after watched Liverpool beat AC Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
Shields always professed his innocence and was eventually returned to the UK to serve out his 15-year sentence in a British jail.
But the campaign to overturn the judgement continued, and gathered support from the Anfield club - in particular local-born stars Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
Now the Shields family and their support group have won their fight to have the 22 year-old released.
And Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has revealed the club's plan to invite Shields to Anfield.
He said: "Everyone in Liverpool is really pleased (with the pardon), it is a situation we have all been trying to change for a long time.
"The players, the club and the people in Merseyside have been pushing. Hopefully things will be really good now and the family will be relaxed and he will enjoy life.
"We have had contact with them before, and we will do so again. We have supported them from the first day.
"We are trying to set up something for him to come to a game, but you cannot push him too much. The main thing is how he feels, but if he does want to come, we would be pleased and we will invite him.
"We are all just delighted he has been released. If he wants to see some games we will invite him.
"His family have shown great dignity as they have handled this situation, sometimes it is difficult to know how to behave but they have done really well.
"Big names here have shown support, players who can make an impact."
Reds fan Shields was given a royal pardon this week after spending four years in prison having been convicted in Bulgaria for the attempted murder of a barman.
Shields was arrested in the Bulgarian resort of Golden Sands in May 2005, having travelled there on holiday after watched Liverpool beat AC Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul.
Shields always professed his innocence and was eventually returned to the UK to serve out his 15-year sentence in a British jail.
But the campaign to overturn the judgement continued, and gathered support from the Anfield club - in particular local-born stars Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
Now the Shields family and their support group have won their fight to have the 22 year-old released.
And Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has revealed the club's plan to invite Shields to Anfield.
He said: "Everyone in Liverpool is really pleased (with the pardon), it is a situation we have all been trying to change for a long time.
"The players, the club and the people in Merseyside have been pushing. Hopefully things will be really good now and the family will be relaxed and he will enjoy life.
"We have had contact with them before, and we will do so again. We have supported them from the first day.
"We are trying to set up something for him to come to a game, but you cannot push him too much. The main thing is how he feels, but if he does want to come, we would be pleased and we will invite him.
"We are all just delighted he has been released. If he wants to see some games we will invite him.
"His family have shown great dignity as they have handled this situation, sometimes it is difficult to know how to behave but they have done really well.
"Big names here have shown support, players who can make an impact."
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