Liverpool FC stars Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konaté give out free bagels and donuts in Liverpool city centre – but why? Tony McDonough reports

A trio of Liverpool FC stars gave out free bagels and donuts in the city centre in an initiative to promote small businesses.

Midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, as well as defender Ibrahima Konaté, visited The Bagelry in Nelson Street. It was arranged by Liverpool FC commercial partner VistaPrint, which has donated £3,000 to the business for new kitchen equipment.

The Kop trio helped staff prepare the bagels and donuts before giving them out to members of the public.

They gave their time as part of Liverpool FC’s partnership with VistaPrint which aims to empower local small businesses by promoting them on the global football stage.

This partnership includes ‘working experiences’ initiatives such as this one, as part of the efforts for spotlighting small local shops in the city. It comes ahead of Small Business Saturday taking place on December 2.

It also includes the Small Business of the Match (SBOTM) initiative where small business owners from across the UK have the opportunity to market their brand via pitch-side advertising during Liverpool FC home games.

Antoine Thieser, brand strategy director Europa at VistaPrint, said: “Engaging with the local community is a fundamental part of VistaPrint’s commitment to small businesses.

“We’re incredibly grateful that our partnership with Liverpool FC enables us to shine a spotlight on small businesses in the city and that we can support them in a smart way to help these businesses achieve their goals.”

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Sam Stonehouse, co-owner of The Bagelry, added: “We were so happy when LFC approached us to be part of the work experience initiative.

“We love our business and this is such a great platform to showcase our lovely team and our freshly baked products. Vistaprint have been so generous throughout the process and have kindly donated funds to help us make changes in the shop.”